Red Red Rose
by Nicole Loire
Summary: What would Quistis be like if she lived in our world and found herself falling in love with an enemy?
1. Red Red Rose : Prologue

R e d + R e d + R o s e by Nicya  
  
Prologue  
  
A blond, blue-eyed, 18 year old woman sipped her coffee and   
watched the buildings go by in a blur through the large windows of the   
bus that would take her home. Her glasses were fogged from standing   
outside in the cold streets of Chicago, Illinois and then suddenly   
stepping into a warm but stuffy area. As she waited for her stop to   
come up she half-listened to a student that was in her English class   
and also sitting beside her, blab about guys. She wondered why, if the   
girl was so angry at her boyfriend that she continued to go out with   
him. The tarty chatter did not interest her very much however having a   
companion sit beside her was a rarity and it was better then sitting   
beside the mysterious guy that was eyeing her at the back of the bus.   
It was not as if she was scared but more so she was annoyed and tired   
of turning all the players down.  
  
Quistis Trepe was a relatively new student at Balamb Public High   
School but she had been there long enough to learn about the cliques   
and the idiots that tried to steal lunch money in the Cafeteria. She   
did not have many friends because of her quiet yet self-assured   
attitude though the attention she received from the portion of male   
students was more then enough to make up for that. It was not as though   
she batted her eyelashes and giggled like a ditz when she was in the   
company of the opposite sex but apparently it was her figure and "hard-  
to-get" personality that made her appealing to men, at least, that was   
what her companion sitting next to her claimed. She could care less, it   
wasn't like it was impossible to deal with it and she couldn't exactly   
help it if she was attractive. Seeing her stop coming up, which was at   
a small park, she politely ended the conversation with her friend as   
she got up to exit the bus and thank the driver.  
  
Quistis shifted her book bag on her shoulder and started to make   
her way home by cutting through the snowy park and being wary of the   
ice patches. It was then that she noticed the stranger from the back of   
the buss had got off as well and was walking only a few steps behind   
her. The fact that he was most-likely following her to get her address   
and phone number made her want to turn around and slap him even though   
he hadn't even made any attempts to do that yet. She realized, as she   
was halfway through the park that he was walking in step with her.  
  
"Hey, I'm Zell, what's your name?"  
  
She was silent as she continued walking, tuning him out and   
concentrating on getting home without yelling at the stranger.  
  
"Uh, I'm new to this place. I go to Balamb…I've seen you there too."  
  
Quistis remained quiet and tried willing him away in her mind.  
  
"…Guess you're not really talkative. Aren't you cold wearing a short   
skirt and a light jacket like that?"  
  
Five steps later she was still mute and the young man started to slow   
down, apparently he had got the message. It made her feel bad and for a   
split second she considered that he might be different from the other   
assholes.  
  
"It's cold but I'm fine, I don't have very far to walk." She spoke up   
just as she heard him sigh from a few steps behind.  
  
He seemed to instantly perk up and jogged up beside her, keeping in   
sync with her steps once again.  
  
"Yeah? Wow, what kind of an accent is that?"  
"English."  
"You're from the U.K? When did you transfer here?"  
"Originally from the United Kingdom, eight years ago I moved to   
Australia and picked up that accent as well. I reallocated here three   
years ago, when I was fifteen."  
  
"Australia…it must be nice not having to worry about winter!"  
  
She rounded the corner of her street and the guy continued to walk   
beside her.  
  
"I suppose. But not having seasons becomes rather dull after a while."   
She said thoughtfully, "Did you move onto this street?"  
  
Shifting the conversation purposely and biting her lip as she noticed   
him staring at her. He stopped and scowled; she slowed down and came to   
a halt as well, giving him a curious look. They were now halfway down   
the street and almost at her house.  
  
"Nah, my house is back there. I'm so stupid, I just didn't realize   
where we were."  
  
She smiled and rolled her eyes.  
  
"Looks like you should get going then. Will you be able to make it home   
okay?"  
  
He nodded and waved before turning around.  
  
"Oh and Zell, thank you for walking me home, you can call me Quistis."  
  
The vibrant young man with spiky blonde hair faced her again and smiled   
goofily.  
  
"No prob, see ya around Quistis!"  



	2. Red Red Rose : Master Pimp

****

R e d + R e d + R o s e : Chpt. One : The Master Pimp

__

Diary Entry: 0053 Date : 02-03-05

"See ya around Quistis!"

I don't think so. Talk about trying too hard, that guy needs some lessons in Players 101. I suppose any other tart would be flattered to have guys chasing after you and trying to hook up with you 24/7, but not me. At least I can admit to being a bitch though, it's not like I'm in denial. Sometimes I just wish I could smash them all into a locker and forget about them, but that wouldn't make my problem go away either. Problem? Is it really a problem? I should be happy that it's so easy for me to get a damn boyfriend and yet here I am, as contemplative and tightass-y as usual, obsessing over things and constantly turning them over in my mind. I actually brought home my textbooks to attempt to do homework, if it's even worthy of being called homework. I could do those supposedly "advanced" science questions back in grade five and that is exactly why I should get out of here and apply to that other academy. I don't have anyone or anything here holding me back, except the fact that attending the academy for only a year cost one thousand bloody dollars, which is the most ridiculous thing I've heard of. I thought that schools were founded to help children learn, not profit off of us.

Quistis signed off of her online journal and stared blankly at the monitor, which was now displaying her boring, old desktop. She drummed her fingers on her desk and thought of what she should do next. Looking at her clock she noticed it was almost time to make dinner and catch another episode of _Slayers_.

She honestly could not think of a reason why she even bothered watching television, the dubbing on the anime shows was much too often horrendous and half of the plots were too odd and outlandish to describe. That was exactly why she didn't pay for cable, it just wasn't worth it. She found that a lot of things were not "worth it" when you had to pay for them yourself with money you could be using for tuition expenses in university the following year or paying the rent. Living alone wasn't all it was cracked up to be, aside from having the freedom to make a mess and not be scolded to clean it up or be grounded. The thought was slightly amusing…_grounded…_it was generally a punishment for younger children however her last foster mother had _grounded _her without even considering that it was ineffective and not logical. She didn't enjoy leaving clothes all over her floor or never doing her chores however it was mostly the fact that she didn't give a damn about the house and wanted out so badly that it was painful.

__

Zell…she rolled the name around on her tongue and thought about him, the first guy that had honestly not wanted to lie down with her the second minute into a conversation. It was actually not that bad, now if only she could find a guy that she was attracted to who would do the same, by now Quistis knew that would be like hoping for a miracle though.

Pushing the thought out of her mind and willing herself to hop out of the computer chair and walk over to the kitchen, she saw that her cat was standing on the table and giving her shoujo eyes, it was the cat's way of telling her that he was hungry.

"I know I forgot to feed you yesterday, I'm sorry but I had a report to hand in for English that we were assigned to two weeks ago."

She opened the small fridge door and took out a can of cat food and an instant dinner. Popping the cat's food in the automatic can-opener and placing her own dinner in the microwave to warm up, Quistis sighed and set the timer while watching the cat rub up against her bare leg. The can was open now and she scooped its contents into a small dish before setting it down for the hungry animal who greedily began devouring it. Meanwhile, the timer had gone off on the microwave and she spun over to it, took her dinner out and grabbed a spoon from on top of the counter before going into her small den and flicking on the TV

__

"In other, local news, there was a drive-by shooting-" 

Wasn't it possible to even click on the television without hearing about some horrible tragedy? She changed the channel.

__

"Surround yourself with the luxury of-"

Stupid commercials.

__

"Bonjour, et bienvue a TeleFrancais. Je m'apelle-"

As much as she enjoyed her language classes, she disliked watching foreign shows.

__

"Please…just leave me alone!" 

A young woman in her late teens wearing barely anything was running up a staircase and being chased by a cloaked villain, Quistis sighed and was about to change the channel to the network that Slayers was on, but the phone rang. She got off the couch and went to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Quistis…You look absolutely stunning in that loose tee-shirt and-"

"Who is this?" Her voice came out annoyed and she scowled.

"Who do you think, hoe?"

"Seifer, if you call me one more bloody time I will personally rip off your-"

"You sound so pleased to hear from me."

"I can't believe that you were spying on me, you're the sickest bastard I've ever come to know and a sad excuse for a want-to-be pimp."

"Is that so?"

"Fuck you."

She would have slammed the phone after hanging it up but because it was a cordless that just wasn't possible. It rang again.

"What the hell do you want now?" She asked, enraged.

"I want you to come and see me outside."

"There is no way that I am coming outside, at sub-arctic temperatures in a tee-shirt and undergarments. Go bother one of your sluts, I'm sure you have quite a selection to choose from. The way you boast about your social life…"

"C'mon, just slip on a jacket and a skirt and I'll see you outside or you could be nice enough to let me in."

His voice was low and husky.

"Why can't you just stop bothering me?"

"Because I find myself more and more attracted to you everyday."

"I'm going to ignore that comment, I suggest you hang up now unless you want to be taken away from my apartment in a police cruiser for stalking and harassing me."

"Stalking? Harassing? I'm just trying to have a conversation with you and all you're doing is insulting me. I'm freezing out here and my house is around fifteen blocks away, let me come in for a while."

"With whom?"

"I'm all alone, I came just to be with you."

She could tell he was probably smiling at the other end of the phone.

"Why can't you drive home?" She was desperate for an excuse not to allow him in now.

"No gas and no wheels tonight, my car's in the shop."

"I'll bet it is."

She hung up once again but this time buzzed him up after biting her lip and yelling at herself mentally for allowing herself to be played.

She honestly did not know why she put up with the idiot, he was definitely not the kind of person she wanted to associate with and he bothered her to the extreme. However, there was something about him, perhaps she was curious as to how a person could possibly have an IQ in negative integers. Without bothering to think it over any longer, she rounded the corner to her bedroom and grabbed a skirt from the floor, sliding it up her legs and over her small hips. Reaching for a tank top, she threw off the baggy shirt she was wearing, with her free hand, and proceeded to pull the tank top over her head and around her upper torso. Then, carefully, she pulled on a pair of fishnets and stretched them over her legs, up to her waistline.

Examining herself carefully in the mirror, she hiked the skirt up a bit before reaching for her lip gloss of choice and finished brushing it over her lips just as there was a knock at the door.

Quistis walked over to the doorway and stared at the doorknob for a moment before forcing herself to open it and staring into the eyes of the imbecile she had just got off the phone with.

"You look striking, better then any of the other ladies that I have working on the corners."

He had an English accent as well and his voice was deep.

"I'm guessing that I should take that as a complement." She moved aside, letting him in before slamming the door.

"Same as usual, immaculate to the point where I can honestly say that it frightens me."

"You see, there's this task that's called cleaning and-"

"Save it. How much will I have to pay you to work at my friend's pub?"

"You won't have to pay me anything because you know I'll turn down the offer as usual."

"Will you? This job is different, no sex, drugs, or drinking involved. All you have to do is carry drinks to tables and maybe give a few smiles to a few drunks playing pool."

He walked into the living room, sat down on the loveseat and motioned for her to sit beside him.

"I have a job already."

"What? Working on that stupid Internet as a webmaster? Come on, we're talking about real money here."

She dropped down beside him and allowed him to put his arm around her while fiddling around with the remote control with the other.

"You know what that's going to lead do, eventually I'll get _promoted _and then I'll just have to quit and disappoint you again."

"I'll be calling the shots this time, you don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"Why me, then?"

"My dear Quistis, you know how much I love you."

She scoffed at the comment and lowered her eyes.

"What's there to think about? Clean money, good hours, no pressure."

"I don't know. I can't say that I want to get into anything right now. I'm perfectly satisfied with my current job." She looked up at him, pleading him to stop however he just stared back at her, making her look away again.

"At least toss the idea over. Jobs on the Internet aren't stable, one week you're working on a website, the next week you have no customers and you find yourself sleeping in a stranger's bed for cash to pay for food and bills."

"Hardly. If it makes you happy, I'll give the idea some consideration but that's IT."

"That's all I'm asking, he moved closer to her and lowered his mouth to hers while placing his hand on her leg. Normally, she would give into it and let him have his way, but she had promised herself that it would end, no matter how attracted she felt to him, it wasn't fair to herself to be suckered in like this. She moved his hand away from her leg and only responded to his kiss for only a brief moment before pulling away and staring at him.

"You should go now."

"Is that how you're going to be tonight?"

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, "I don't feel like it."

"_It_? Who ever said that I wanted to do _it _anyway?"

"You certainly implied it by feeling up my thigh."

"Relax, it's only PG tonight, I promise."

She narrowed her eyebrows shook her head.

"I'm tired, I was up all night yesterday doing an assignment, I'll talk to you tomorrow at my locker."

He stood up and shook his head, annoyed at her apparent lack of interest towards him.

"Fine, but you had better come up with a decision by then."

"Would you rather I just turn you down right here and now?"

"Why are you so cruel and cold to me?"

"I'm the exact opposite and you know it. I'm only trying to look out for myself. I'm sorry if that disappoints you."

"Alright, I'll talk to you soon then." He walked over to the door and shut it behind himself.


	3. Red Red Rose : School & Work

****

Red + Red + Rose : Chpt. Two : School & Work

Diary Entry: 0054 Date: 02-04-05

All right, I admit to lying slightly. I'm not as cold and bothered by some people as I am towards others. I don't even know why I find myself so attracted to Seifer, he's just there and he's the first guy that ever actually made a move on me. Not that it counts for much, but it made me feel good inside. Good God, what am I becoming? Another one of his "ladies?" I think not, from this point on I am most certainly not allowing him to take our relationship any further…_Relationship? _I've never thought of it like that before, is it really even worthy of calling sex and the occasional date a _Relationship? _Yes, there is nothing more in the world that I would love to do then jump Seifer and hurt him badly, but a part of me is still soft inside and that is what I hate most about myself. But self-hatred is just a sorry excuse for numbskulls that can't deal with their life so instead of trying to resolve their problems they take it out on themselves, it's stupid really.

I know that I won't have time to write later because it's a Friday and I'm probably starting my new job today. I still can't figure out why I took it but Seifer did have a point last night about Internet income being very unstable and unreliable. Either that or I'm an idiot who just doesn't have the heart to turn him down. Seifer knows that too and that is the worst thing about this conversation.

I think I might invite Zell down to the pub tonight for some company. He can be painfully dumb and clueless sometimes but deep down I think that he's not a bad guy, just a bit confused and rather eager to please.

Upon arriving at her locker, Quistis emptied a few books out of her bags and shoved them into the small, dark chamber, taking only a moment to glance at her reflection in the mirror. Her blonde hair was pulled up as usual and two pieces fell gently around her face and complemented the warm colors she was wearing in her clothing. She gasped slightly as she felt two muscular arms encircle around her waist and a moist mouth at her neck.

"I've thought about your offer."

"And?"

"And…I…"

"You'll take it. Great, love, you'll be starting later tonight."

"You owe me."

"I have every intention of paying you back…later this evening after I pick you up from the pub." He whispered in her ear before walking off with his two friends Fujin & Raijin.

The comment made her blush slightly and she turned around to see if anyone had heard him say that, like one of the jocks that was obsessed with her or maybe the one of the preps. Perhaps then they would see that she was not interested in them and back off. To her misfortune, they hadn't and so she grabbed a few writing utensils out of her locker before locking it and starting to make her way to her English class.

"Yo, Quistis, how've you been?"

She turned to her left to face a very energetic and happy Zell.

"I've been all right. I'm guessing that you've been quite fine yourself too."

"Yeah, I finally got my schedule today but this school's so huge…"

"It's not that hard to navigate after going on a tour a few times, I'll show you around sometime."

"Really?… I mean…uh…" He scratched his head, trying to think of the correct thing to say, "It would be cool."

She couldn't help herself from silently laughing as she watched him, not exactly paying attention, he was going on about how his last school had been a lot smaller and how he would never be able to do his exam because he wouldn't be able to find the gym.

Suddenly, one of her many admirers and followers, Nida Wilson, came up beside her and pulled her close to him, trying to kiss her, however she pushed him through the door of the Women's bathroom before he had the chance to. She heard screams from inside.

"Woah, who was that? A love interest?"

"No, that was nobody."

"But he tried to kiss you, obviously he's someone important. And why did you get so angry and push him into the-"

"Look Zell," She turned to face him, biting her lip before looking around and sighing, "There are a lot of people around here that want to get with me, I just can't handle it sometimes. That person was just another dumb-minded jerk who wants to get me in his bed. But I don't do that sort of thing…"

He looked ashamed for being so persistent and lowered his gaze to the floor.

"It's not your fault. I'm-"

"Forget it, what are you doing later?"

"Later?" The question struck her off guard, "Later I'm going to be working at the Honey-Bee Pub, it's downtown."

"You work?"

"Mmm-hmm. Well, this job's kind of new."

"That's great, you should be happy. It can be a real pain trying to find work around here. I was planning on asking you to a movie, but since you're working, how about I just drop by and say hello?"

She stopped, her English class was through the door just beside her.

"That sounds alright. I'll see you then."

Entering the classroom slowly, she took a seat near the front, the class was already mostly full and there were only two desks left. Now there was one available because she occupied the other one.

__

If it gets anymore crowded, people will be crouching on the floor. Of course I'm sure that's nothing they aren't used to, most of the people here are quite used to being on the floor while…

The bell rang, interrupting her thoughts and so she reached for her pen and paper from her bag, getting prepared for the day's lecture on Lord of the Flies and government.

As she grabbed her pen, she noticed another student whom she had never noticed before, he entered the classroom. He was considerably tall with medium length spiky hair and wore a leather, fur-lined jacket.

"Who's that?" Selphie, who sat beside her on the bus and behind her in English, whispered in her ear.

"I haven't a clue…" She whispered back, turning her attention towards the board where the teacher was waiting to begin.

"Ahem," The professor cleared he throat, motioning for everyone to give him their undivided attention, "We have a new student today, his name is Leonhart, or rather, Squall Leonhart. He got transferred here from the other English class due to a conflicting schedule."

Some students nodded to him while others whispered and stared.

__

Way to make him feel welcome, guys. Let's all stare at him like he has a bloody scar across his-

She stopped in mid-thought, Squall Leonhart had the same mark as Seifer did, a light but noticeable scar that stretched, on an angle, across his nose. He took a seat in the desk beside her and seemed quite uncomfortable, not having any notepaper or pens.

She almost would have felt bad for him, if she had got over her shock, however she was still thinking about it by the time she noticed that he was now looking around the room, probably for someone to borrow some supplies from.

"Do you need anything?" She asked in a hushed tone.

"………"

"Excuse me…" She waved her hand in front of his face, "I asked you if-"

"Miss. Trepe, what are your views on the colonization of the island in Lord of the Flies?" The old, and obviously annoyed professor had decided to turn his attention towards her.

"Colonization, sir, there was hardly anything of that sort. The novel and films were about a group of young boys that got shipwrecked on an island and formed their own government, I believe the term 'colonization' stands for the founding of a group of people, an alliance, or a population of a city for a development." Her tone was informative and betrayed any emotion. She knew that her teacher was on the verge of strangling her however she smiled politely at him as he nodded to her.

"I don't need anything." Squall Leonhart told her quietly before turning his attention towards the miserable and angry professor.

It was not long before the bell rang and it was time for her next class, she noticed that Seifer had been watching her more then he usually did and it made her slightly uneasy as he came up to her as she was walking to History. It was only down the hall from her previous class but she had to make a quick trip to her locker which was around the corner and down a few more corriders.

__

Why can't he just leave me alone? He acts like I'm his bloody property…

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

__

Later that night at the Honey-Bee Pub…

"Alright, so that's a screwdriver on the rocks and a coors light from the taps?"

"Yup, thanks a bunch sweetie."

Quistis forced a smile, noticing the manager was watching her, she walked over to the bar, moving her hips as she did so, and told the bartender what the two customers wanted.

__

Oh this job is just wonderful, rowdy guys who think they can place their hands all over me and a manager who watches me like a damned hawk.

The building reeked of cigarettes and the air was so smoky that sometimes it was difficult for her to find her way around the bar without squinting or walking slower then usual to make sure she didn't bump into anyone. Music played in the background, there were neon lights around and some sports memorabelia hung on the walls. She grabbed a tray of drinks and fries from the bar and carried them over to a table in the corner where a few guys were chatting and drinking.

"Hey, why don't you sit down with us and have a drink?" One of them asked, patting the seat beside him.

"No thank you." She said, trying to be polite, and turned around.

"Wait!" One of them grabbed her by the arm, her instinctive response was to spin around, grab his arm and twist it, but she knew that she'd get fired if she did such a thing.

"I'm sorry, but I have to work." She quickly pulled her arm away and walked over to the bar before they could say anything else however she heard groans of disappointment coming from behind her.

__

That's it. I don't care how much money this job pays, if they keep bothering me I'm quitting. This is horrendous and the atmosphere and smell in here is absolutely putrid. Why did I even take this job in the first place?

Just then, someone put their hands on her sides and began tickling her, her face turned a light shade of crimson. Spinning around, she was ready to slap whoever it was, she didn't care if it was a customer or her boss. When she saw it was Zell all she could do was stare at him.

"Hey, sorry I surprised you, I came in here earlier but you looked busy so I decided not to bug ya."

She shook her head.

"That's alright, where are you sitting?"

"Up here at the bar, I was waiting for ya to come up." He grinned.

"I'll be back in a minute."

Grabbing the screwdriver and coors light that was waiting to be picked up by her on the bar, she balanced them carefully and walked back to the couple that had ordered it. Taking a quick glance around the room, she noticed that business had cooled down for a bit so it was possible to take her break. She strided over to the bartender, a middle-aged man named Laguna, and told him that she would be back in a few minutes, before going over to the doorway and motioning for Zell to follow.

He jogged over and they went outside for a bit, the bar was located not far from the downtown section of Chicago, the were quite a few small shops and other restaurants on the same street and small, outdoor café not too far down the block.

"Wanna go for a coffee?" Zell asked, trying to be casual even though she could tell he was probably nervous asking her. The thought made her smile inwardly as she nodded and they began heading for the café.

"It seemed pretty busy and packed in there before, I guess the prime hours are in the late evening."

She nodded and looked around, thinking about how rushed she had been.

"So, what's it like working there?"

Quistis was quiet for a few moments, contemplating on what she should tell him. They crossed the street and turned a corner, by now they were almost at their destination.

"The pay is good but the customers and my boss are appalling. I don't know how I'm going to stand it if I decide not to quit."

He seemed surprised.

"That bad?" 

"Worse. Some people just get too adventurous with their hands."

Zell looked embaressed now, most likely thinking about how he had tickled her earlier and feeling bad about it.

"It's not you, I don't mind the occasional pat on the back or tap on the shoulder, but the people in there simply grab at me anyway they please and they think it's fine. Then I'm stuck because if I decide the break their bloody fingers and snap their arms behind their backs, I'm going to get fired for 'assualting' the customers."

"Didn't you have a job before?"

"I did….but it wasn't very _secure._"

"Man, I know I wouldn't mind if I was waiting tables and some chicks decided to place their hands on me." He joked.

"Heh, I'm sure you wouldn't."

She walked over to the small stand set up outside and ordered a Moccachino. Zell ordered a hot chocolate with marshmellows which made her laugh. They stood, watching cars go past and gazing up at the sky for quite some time while chatting about school.

"So, I've decided to attend Galbadia University, I'm still unsure of what I want to be but teaching interests me so I might look into that." She mentioned to him, they had decided to start heading back to the bar because her break was almost over and she knew that Laguna was expecting her back soon.

"I think that I want to be a Sensei in Karate because I'm good at martial arts." Her companion explained.

"Martial arts…hmm…"

"Yeah, it's nothing special and it doesn't exactly require intelligence bu I guess I enjoy it."

"Well, as long as you're happy." Quistis mused, "I doubt I could ever get into Martial Arts, writing and drawing interests me much more, although I enjoy physical activity."

'You mean sports?"

They rounded the same corner and crossed the street again.

"Yes. I've always enjoyed dancing and gymnastics."

"Dancing? Are you good at it?"

"Considering I used to dance at a local club and get paid for it, I'd say I'm a formidable dancer."

"A local club? Why don't you work there anymore? You must have loved it, I know _I_ would!"

"I did, I can honestly say that I enjoyed dancing there, it was mainly hip-hop and I used to dance on stage. But…" She stopped, wondering if she should continue with her anecdote.

"But…?" Zell asked.

"Things got quite out of hand and I was forced to do some things that I didn't want to do so… I quit and I took up the job of webdesigning."

"That sucks, I never tried webdesgning before, never really interested me." He scratched his head and shrugged.

They had just arrived back at the bar and stood outsde.

"Well, it's getting late and I only have to work for about another half hour. You should probably go."

He nodded.

"I'll see you on Monday." He replied before waving and heading off towards the parking lot where she presumed he had parked his car.

__

Yes, things definitely took a bad turn at the club. Which is exactly why I was wary of taking this job.

Suddenly, a white porche convertible came speeding down the street, she could have sworn she saw smoke arrising from behind it and she squinted to try to make out who was driving it while taking a few steps back on the sidewalk as a safety precaution. The car came to a screeching halt right infront of her. The manager of the pub, wondering what the noise was, had come outside.

"Hey, Zion." The person from inside he car shouted, the music coming from the car was almost deafening and she could barely make out his voice. The driver turned the volume down, realizing the same thing.

"I need you down at the Opium! Leave Laguna in charge." He ordered. Quistis was confused as to what was happening but instead of speaking up and asking what was happening, she remained silent.

"Okay, Irvine. I'll be right over there."

The man named Irvine nodded and looked towards her for a moment before looking back at her boss.

"She's the new waitress."

"Tell her she can leave early, I'll bet she has some parties that she wants to check out tonight, isn't that right baby?"

She gritted her teeth and clenched her hands up in fists, forcing a smile.

"And make sure you pay her for working full time."

Irvine winked at her before revving up his engine, turning the music back up and racing down the street again.

"All right Quistis, you heard the man, he's my superior and yours too. Get your ass out of here." Her boss said before heading back inside.

__

Is that how things around here work? Idiots. Now I have to wait outside until one o'clock for Seifer to pick me up.

She heard thunder in the distance and scowled as took a seat on the bench to her right and began searching for her cell phone. Upon finding it, she dialed Seifer's number, though she doubted that he would be home, she tried anyway. It rang eight times before she decided to hang up and wait for another half hour for him to arrive.

But did he ever arrive? Of course not, Seifer had most certainly forgot and it was painfully obvious as she walkied, freezing cold in a blizzard, that it was most likely the furthest thing in this mind at that moment.

Her light jacket barely kept her warm at all because she was wearing a small, white halter-top underneath and her short leather skirt and knee-high boot made the frigid weather all the more unbearable. Apparently, they wanted her to dress "nicely." Translated : they wanted her to come in wearing barely anything at all.

For an hour she walked against the wind without a scarf, gloves or any other protective winter clothing. Her legs and face had got frost-bitten and had gone numb after the first thirty minutes while her lips quivered and her teeth chattered from the extreme cold. She was determined to make it home though and wasn't about to give up so easilly. The streets were practically empty and with every step she took she cursed Seifer, her intense anger was the only thing keeping her from falling down on the sidewalk. She would have called a taxi long ago if she had any money with her and the busses, she was guessing, had been cancelled due to the extreme storm.

Her heart was pounding, her lungs ached and she tasted blood at the back of the throat because she had been inhaling the frosty air for such a long period of time. She could hardly make out the sidewalk in front of her, it was worse then the smoke at the bar, as she continued to walk.

As she rounded the corner, five blocks away from her appartment, she had to stop because she was out of breath and compltely exasperated. The roads were practically empty now, the city had fallen quiet. She noticed that a pair of headlights illuminated the area behind her and she turned around to face a motercycle that had pulled up beside her and halted. She wondered who it was, she was much too weak to fight anyone who would attempt to mug her so she just hoped that it wasn't anyone with bad intentions. To her amazement, the person that lifted off the helmet on the motercycle was Squall Leonhart.

__

"Get on." He told her. It was not a question but rather it was a command. Normally, she would have been skeptical and argued with him to the point where he would have probably given up on her, but the world was blurry and had started to spin so she reluctantly walked over to the vehicle and allowed him to slip a helmet over her head and mount her behind him on the cycle while placing her cold, numb hand gently but firmly on his waist so she wouldn't fall off.


	4. Red Red Rose : Dancer

****

Red + Red + Rose : Chpt. Three : Dancer

__

"Mommy! Daddy! Wait!" A young child shouted and struggled as she was pulled into an ambulance, off the slippery highway road, on a stretcher. She cried and screamed but was just too weak to do anything. There had been a bad car crash and she had been stuck in her carseat but her parents had been flung out of the car because they hadn't been wearing seatbelts. There were flashing lights and sirens sounded all around. The wind howled and the rain splattered against the road, mixing with blood.

"I don't want to leave here. Please let me stay Miss. Frowly!" A small, blonde girl pleaded with an older woman. Her social worker and a police officer pulled her outside, away from the crying older woman.

"I didn't mean to break the window. I was just playing baseball and-" There was a deafening like a clap of thunder and a searing hot pain against her small cheek as a young pre-teen girl got slapped brutally across the face.

"I can't stay here anymore…" A young woman in her early teens said. She had only a pack on her back and little money. She walked through a dense maze of people and buildings in a central downtown area where she ran everytime that someone tried to talk to her.

"Quistis Trepe and you are…?" A tall, young man with short blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes stood beside a female in her mid teens.

"Seifer Almasy." He took her hand and kissed it softly.

The cold winter winds blew and she felt as though she would fall any moment. The world became a haze and it began spinning and getting blurry. A motercycle pulled up behind her…

Quistis woke up instantaneously, snapped awake by her dream. She lied on the leather loveseat in her living room, the television was on and there were noises coming from the kitchen. Her feet, face and hands tingled with a stining sensation and she felt incredibly hot and a bit dizzy. Still, she managed to sit up, toss off the multiple blankets that she was lying under, and stand up, making her way to the ktichen. The sun had risen outside an it looked like midday. Yawning and stretching slightly, she didn't realize there was someone inside the kitchen until she turned to face him. He had a mug in his hand and a ring of keys in the other. The brown, spiky hair and fur-lined jacket looked familiar.

"Why are you here?"

"I found you walking a few blocks away from your apartment. You looked ready to collapse so I took you on my motercycle and brought you back here."

"How did you know where I lived?"

"………"

"T-thank you." She mumbled, realizing she had been quite rude and momentarilly forgetting about her other questions.

"Whatever. I was planning to leave now. I made you a coffee."

He set it down on the small kitchen table and walked passed her. She had a million questions on her mind but before she even had a chance to utter even one, he had shut the door and left without even saying goodbye.

__

Why didn't he just take me to the hospital? Did he carry me back up here? Why was he out so late at night on his motorcycle?

She sighed, not knowing whether to go chasing after him or sip her coffee and go lay down again. 

__

Damn that Seifer! He's the reason that all this happened. He's gone too far this time.

She went to lay back down on the couch in the living room and curled under the blankets. Still tired from her trek the previous night, she was on the verge of falling asleep again. Exhaustian kicked in and her eyelids became heavy.

It seemed that just as she had closed her eyes she was awoken again, this time by soft music being played that sounded like Ja Rule. Instantly awake, she sat up, only to stare into the face of a concerned Seifer who gently pushed her down again.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't there last night."

She didn't say anything but stared at a dark purple bruise that evident on his cheek.

"I was on my way up to your apartment room this morning and some spiky-headed imbecile came walking down the hall, he looked at me for a moment before punching me. Needless to say, I gave him what he deserved and he'll think twice about trying to land a punch on me next time.

She arched an eyebrow but continued to remain silent.

"There was a problem at the Opium last night, a few of my ladies got kicked off of the street nearby because of some idiot who claimed that he was the co-manager of the club and he didn't want people hovering outside."

She bit her lip, wondering whether or not he was lying.

__

I guess your 'ladies' are just more important then me then…

"So I went down there and I picked the ladies up and I was one my way to pick you up except that that idiot at the club had phoned the cops on me for causing a 'disturbance' and so I spent the entire night and early morning in a jail cell before Fujin and Raijin came down to get me.

"Liar." She mumbled before turning over so she wouldn't have to face him.

"Liar? Love, you know that I-"

"I don't need this. I don't have to put up with you and I'm certainly not going to stand for it any longer. Leave…and don't bother trying to come back or sucker me in again because it won't work. That guy you beat up, he was the one that saved me and he had every right to hit you this morning, the way you left me stranded last night."

Seifer stared at her, he wasn't sure whether to get up and leave or stay and try to help her so he was quiet for five minutes and sat there beside her on the edge of the loveseat. She turned around again, glaring at him.

"I thought I told you to go. I don't think that you understand-"

Before she had a chance to finish her sentence he pressed his lips against hers and kissed her. It wasn't like his other kisses though, they were intense, fast, and hard. This one was soft, tender and…something else. She had never been kissed like this before. He didn't pull away quickly either, it was not until he had run his hands though her hair and she pulled away that he stopped.

"I still owe you…"

"Then consider taking me out for dinner tonight your 'payback.'"

___________________________________________________

****

Diary Entry: 0055 Date: 02-10-05

I hightly doubt that it's possible to have one of the worst days of your life and then have one of the very best ones. I despise that horrid, disgusting, and intolerable idiot. I'm intelligent enough to know that what happened a few nights ago was only his way of winning me back and it most likely didn't mean anything to him. It rarely does. Still, I wonder what that was…he couldn't have been genuinely concerned about me, that's almost as impossible as Zell working up enough confidence to engage in sexual activity.

Squall Leonhart – An odd bloke but I'm quite thankful to him for saving me, even if he didn't take me to the hospital as he probably should have. He seems extremely silent and unwilling to make any companions. I doubt that I would've died out there, I probably would have summoned up enough strength the stumble back to my appartment but even so, I'm glad that he was there that night. My only problem now is trying to figure out how to deal with Seifer.

I hate him and yet I still haven't quit that damn job. He's been there to pick me up every night and he's even early on occasion but I just cannot trust the bloody jerk. Things have even got better at the bar, I suspect that he's been warning the drunks to stay away from me. However no matter how hard he tries to change and be kind to me, he will always be a player and I know that neither him nor I will be able to change that about him. Before I used to believe that I liked him fine the way he was, of course he had a few bad habits though it was nothing serious. Obviously I was mistaken. So I've decided, instead of obsessing about the entire situation and b*tching at him anymore, I'm going to forget about that night and I'm going to act civil towards him and treat him as nice as I possibly can, considering that I'm not a very kind or civil person.

Quistis was about to sign off her computer but the phone rang so she picked it up.

"Hello?"

"This must be Quistis Trepe."

"Who is this?"

__

I get much too many phone calls similar to this.

"You are speaking to Irvine Kinneas, co-manager of the Opium and one of the head people at the Honey-Bee Pub."

"I see, and you have called because…?"

"Calm down, I'm not firing you."

"Did I ever say that you were?"

"Forget it. The reason I phoned you was because I think that you would work better at the Opium. I heard you don't like it when the guys get a bid rowdy with their hands."

"Hmm, I didn't think anyone really cared enough to even ask me how I felt about that."

"Heh, at the Opium nobody does that, plus I'm there most of the time so you won't have to worry."

"I've worked at the Opium before, I was a dancer and it didn't work out too well."

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to."

She scowled and rolled her eyes.

"That's precisely the same thing that I was told before?"

"Fine. Stay at Hone-"

"No, I'll serve drinks at the Opium if you'd like."

"Great, I'll pick you up at eight o'clock tonight and I'll drive you home at one."

"I'm assuming that I'll get the same wage?"

"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry I'm not gonna rip you off."

"I suppose I owe you my gratitude then. I was getting rather fed up of guys groping at me."

"Well, what can I say? Some people like it while others don't. I thought you'd be more of a party girl, the way Seifer described you."

"Seifer's an ass. Don't listen to him."

"Tough break-up?"

"It's none of your business. Thank you and goodbye."

She hung up the phone and stared at the computer monitor, thinking about the new job. 

__

Serving drinks at the Opium, well at least it's better then the other smoky dump.

Totally engrossed in her thoughts, she jumped as the phone rang not even five minutes later.

"Hello?"

"You're not wearing you're baggy tee-shirt tonight."  
"………"

"I'm here with a few friends, love, do you want to come to a party?"

"I don't have time for parties. I'm being picked up in fifteen minutes."

There was silence on the other end of the line.

"Don't even bother pretending that you're worried that it's another guy."

"Who ever said that? I don't worry about such trivial things, just like you don't mind that I have around five other women with me right now."

"Shut up."

"Where are you going?'

"To work out on the street corner." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm, "You want to come?"

"No, miss bitch, I have things and people to do."

"I'm working at the Opium from now on. Irvine's going to be picking me up and driving me home."

"Tsk, tsk. I really enjoyed our late nights in the back of my car."

"I'll bet you did."

She hung up walked over to the bedroom, trying to decide on what to wear. Grabbing a low-cut, short dress and reaching for a pair of thigh-high platform boots, she smiled and slipped off her skirt and baby tee.

The dress was baby blue and tight-fitting, it complemented her figure and she liked the way it looked on her. Smoothing on some lipgloss and taking her hair out of it's usual clip, she let it down and allowed it to fall gently down her back because the dress had practically no back to it.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Kitty, I'll be back in a bit." She shouted and jogged over to answer it.

Irvine stood outside, he smiled when he saw her.

"Looking good, girl."

She nodded and shut the door behind herself, following him down the hall.

"So, you used to dance before? How come I don't remember you?}"

She shrugged and adjusted the thin strap of her dress.

"Wait." He said, turning to her and looking her over before reaching into his pocket and producing a tiny black object.

"What's that?"

"A mic."

"Why on earth would I be needing that? I'm a server…"

"Nevermind." He said and reached out to her, clipping it on near the top of her dress.

"I can control it with a small remote control so don't worry about turning it on or off."

"I still don't understand-"

The elevator doors opened and he swung his arm around her, guiding her inside. She responded to it by shrugging him off her and crossing her arms infront of her chest. 

"You don't like that? Jeez."

"It's not so much that I don't like it but I'm not attracted to you."

He pretended to act hurt and grinned.

"I can change that."

"Don't hold your breath."

The elevator doors opened and she stepped out, walking ahead of him.

"It's freezing outside, at least let me put a jacket around you."

"I'm fine."

However a second later she felt a warm, long jacket around her shoulders, Quistis turned to him, prepared to tell him off but he silenced her and opened the door leading outside. Walking outside, she instantly regretted her decision to have him drive her to and from the club. Parked outside the apartment, in an illegal parking zone, was his white convertible except it's roof was up this time. At least he wasn't so insane to leave it down in the middle of winter like he did the previous week.

"On second thought, I think I'll take a cab." She said, spinning around and walking back to the apartment. He stopped her with his arm and turned her back around.

"Don't worry. I won't do anything too crazy with you there." The remark was a light one and she doubted that he was serious. However, figuring that if she called a taxi, she would be late on her first night of work at the Opium, she reluctantly allowed herself to be led and to the porsche.

"The second that you go through a set of-" He slammed passenger side door before she had a chance to finish.

__

Idiot. No wonder Seifer and him converse, they're so alike.

Just as Irvine hopped in and revved up engine while she was preparing for the worst, Squall Leonhart stepped infront of the car. She noticed he had multiple bruises on his face and the thought of Seifer hurting him was repulsive.

"Hey, move!" Irvine yelled, rolling down the window and shouting to Squall. He just continued to stare at her though, with those cold and emotionless eyes.

__

I'm sorry if he hurt you. It wasn't my fault. Don't start fights you can't finish.

She wondered if he held her responsible for what happened. Rolling down her own window and biting her lip she stuck her head outside and motioned for him to come over.

"Squall, what one earth-"

He thrust his hand out to her, he was holding her ring.

"H-how did you get that?"

He dropped it into her palm and began walking off.

"I asked you a question." She shouted after him, however it made little difference and he continued walking towards the apparmeant.

"Hey, that was freaky, you want me to get rid of him for you?"

The thought made her want to strangle Irvine.

"No…that won't be necessary."

"You sure."

She turned towards him and glared at him.

"No, I said I don't want you to do anything to Squall. And tell Seifer to keep his f***ing hands off him too."

She was silent for the remainder of the car ride, he drove a bit fast and went through a few red lights but she barely noticed as her thoughts shifted towards Squall once again. 

__

Those bruises…they looked painful. She gulped and forced the image of him out of her mind.

__

I wonder why he punched Seifer? How did he know that Seifer was supposed to pick me up? Why won't he anser any of my questions?

The thoughts nagged at her and made her frown.

"Hey baby, cheer up, it's the Opium."

She noticed that they had arrived outside the large, two story building with flashing lights, loud music and throbbing bass. There was a line up of people waiting to get in. She hopped out of the car and slammed the door behind her, deciding to avoid talking to Irvine as she led the way over to the Bouncer where he nodded to guard to let her through.

"Uh, you can start over there near the bar and just tell Selphie that you're here to help." He stopped to wave at Selphie and wink at her, "She'll explain to routines to you. But first, what if I told you I wanted you to dance again?"

The question caught her off guard and she stared at him.

"I don't know. I would most likely turn you down because last time I had a job dancing here it got much too deep and I was uncomfortable."

"I wouldn't let it go that far. Let's be realistic Quistis, you have a figure to die for – nice curves, a full bust, long legs and even a nice ass. The guys here would love to see you dance and I'd raise your salary."

"No."

"Please?"

"If you're going to keep bothering me about it I might as well just ask you to take me home right now. I said that I don't want to dance anymore. I can't…"

"Why not?"

"Because, I'm sick of being seen as a bloody sex symbol. No matter how much I try to get away from it I always end up in those kinds of situations and I loathe it to a point where I just want to slap any guy that even tries to talk to me. So leave me the hell alone and let me do my normal job."

"You've got to expect it though, just by the way you dress and walk."

"The way I dress and walk should have nothing to do with it."

"Fine, but at least let me see you dance right now on the floor before you start serving drinks."

She was slightly skeptical but reluctantly agreed, mostly just to keep the damn job. They moved onto the floor just as a song by her favorite artist, Ja Rule, came on. Getting back into routine, she danced up close to him, grinding hips and lightly pressing her back and butt against him. He was all smiles as she danced around him, moving in sync with him and continuing to pull off daring dance moves. His jaw almost dropped as she grooved with the music and placed his hands on her hips and then guided them lower as she pressed herself against him and he continued to keep in step with her. They began grinding again and slowed down as the song began changing.

Irvine was practically speechless as he came off the floor with her, staring at her like she was another person, or rather, staring at her body.

"Damn, I've got to see you dancing on that stage by the end of the night."

"Irvine, what did I just tell you before you dragged me on the floor?"

"I don't care what you said. You're talented and beautiful, get up there."

Her eyes blazed flames at him and she clenched her hand up into fists.

"I want you on stage or you're…fired."

"I doubt that you'd fire me."

"Oh? You wanna bet?"

"I can't."

"Quistis, you have talent, girl. Why don't you use it? I barely know you but I do know that you should be doing something you love instead of just serving drinks down here."

"Forget it." She stormed off towards the bar where she saw Selphie, Irvine made no attempt to follow, instead he sighed and shook his head.

Selphie saw her walking over a waved, she was wearing a yellow jumper and had her hair flipped up, making it look like she had been partying all night.

"Hey Quistis, what are you doing here?"

"Working. I need to know how and where I should be serving drinks."

"Waii!! You're working here now too?! That's great, we can help eachother out."

She smiled and began explaining the rules.

"Well, we just go around this huge room with a tray with some drinks piled ontop and then you offer people drinks. Sounds pretty simple, just make sure they pay you _before _you give them their drink and make sure that nobody steals any."

The music and bass were insanely loud and she had to strain to hear Selphie over it and nodded when she was done explaining.

"When you have an empty tray, come back here and tell Raine so she can give you some more drinks to take around. You can have some fun and kinda dance a bit too." She finished, introducing Quistis to Raine.

At first it was a bit akward but she quickly got into the swing of things. Despite a few cat calls, she got along fine. She danced with a few people and even convinced a few customers to buy a few more then they had first set their minds on buying. It was relatively easy and nobody even tried to grab her although a few were quite intent on buying her a drink however she politly declined and humoured them.

After she finished with one of her trays, she started dancing with someone and didn't even know who it was. She was grinding and pressing herself up to him, not even realizing where she was or where he was leading her. By the time she noticed that she was dancing on stage with a lot of people watching she had her back to the guy whose hands were on her hips. She would've leapt of the stage that moment had his hands not been conveniently placed there and she noticed that he had tightened his grip. Instead, her movements became rigid and off sync.

"I'm going to murder you as soon as we get off this stage, Irvine and the sooner the better because I'm totally offbeat right now." She whispered to him, haughtilly.

"Just dance, let me guide you." He whispered back.

"I can't," She bit her lip, "I can't do this."

"Relax, all you have to do is follow my lead."

No other options presented themselves to her so instead of continuing to bitch at him, she let him lead her and get her timing back on track. Their movements became eventually fluent and she blended with him slowly, but nicely. She moved her body to the music and got back in sync with his. She danced around him and guided his hands on her, something she would normally be uncomfortable with, though when dancing she became like a different person.

Then, before she had a chance to hop off stage after the song ended, she found another pair of hands on her hips and felt someone different grinding with her, a bit stronger and closer then she had been grinding with Irvine.

"Shit, how did you get in here?" She asked Seifer who was behind her, smirking.

"An old friend let me in."

"You're not going to let me off, are you?"

"Nope, not a chance, Love."

__

She sighed and kept dancing to the music while thinking about the numerous ways that she would murder Irvine and Seifer later that night.


	5. Red Red Rose : Torn

****

Red + Red + Rose : Chpt. Four : Torn 

****

Diary Entry : 0056 Date: 02-15-05

I never thought that I would dance onstage again and I'm not too happy with the fact that Irvine made me go up there, however it's not a big deal. I accepted the dancing job and now I'm doing okay with it, especially since Irvine has been helping to coach me up on stage. I still haven't told him what happened before…Seifer is the only one that knows and I intend to keep it that way.

I found out where Squall Leonhart lives and I think I'll drop by later tonight, since it's my day off work, and ask him if I can borrow his English textbook. Of course, he'll probably not even talk to me and thrust the textbook at me the same damn way he shoved the ring at me.

Zell has been dropping by the Opium a lot, I guess he enjoys seeing me dance, but then again, after the guys in my classes found out that I was dancing again, they started attending the Opium regularly as well. It isn't so bad but it's not as though I prefer their attention. I got a letter from Harvard yesterday but I've not opened it yet. I'm not nervous, just worried about disappointment which is probably inevitable.

Quistis gazed into the screen of her computer, tired from working overtime last night into the early hours of the morning. She glanced out the window and guessed that it was around noon. It was Saturday and she had nothing to do, save a "date" with Seifer later.

Deciding that there was nothing better to do and glancing at the small slip of paper that contained Squall's apartment number, for the millionth time that day, she contemplated going to see him. She even had an excuse made up if he didn't feel like chatting.

Standing up and stretching, she grabbed the slip of paper and went into her bedroom, deciding to change out of her pajamas. She slipped off the long, baggy tee shirt, which covered her entire torso down to mid thigh and was about to reach for a blouse when the phone rang.

__

Shit. That could be Irvine calling me into work tonight.

She ran outside her bedroom, while in her undergarments, and grabbed the phone off of the loveseat in the living room.

"Hello?"

"Love, you look better without the nightie on, why do you bother wearing it?"

"Ugh, do you mean to tell me that you were spying on me again?"

"If you'd call sitting in your kitchen, spying, then I guess that you're correct."

She narrowed her eyebrows and grabbed for her house-robe to cover herself up, then opened the door to face an extremely amused Seifer.

"Get out. I'm busy."

She threw the phone at him and slammed her bedroom door.

"I miss the days when you wouldn't be so shy to walk around you're apartment, in the buff, with me here."

"What a shame."

"Yes, quite."

"How the hell did you get in here, anyway?"

"You know that pesky Leonhart bloke?"

"Huh? What about him?" Concern was evident in her voice however Seifer didn't even notice it.

She began slipping on a pair of fake leather flares over her legs and grabbed a fuzzy, tight-fitting sweater from her closet.

"I caught that pervert coming up to your apartment while holding your key. Naturally, I questioned him about it but he wouldn't give me any response so I just had to-"

She winced, not wanting to hear what he was about to say.

"Well, you know…give him a slight blow to the stomach."

"And you think it's okay to do that to people? You could be arrested for harassment!" She fumed.

"I probably would be too, if he hadn't been carrying your key."

"That's beside the point." She was confused and rubbed her head, wondering why Squall had her key and what he was planning to do.

She opened the door to see Seifer again, staring at him the figure out if he had told her the entire truth.

"I have a confession to make, love."

"Oh?"

"I was peeping."

She glared at him and kicked his chin before he had a chance to defend himself.

"Idiot. Why did you come here, anyway?"

"I came here to start our evening plans early because I won't be able to make it later tonight."

She scowled but didn't push him away when he encircled his arms around her. Rising up on her tiptoes she gave him a soft kiss on his neck, finding herself drawn to him.

"Promise me you won't hurt anyone anymore." She told him.

"Does it upset you?"

"Mmmm."

"All right, but if that stalker tries anything funny then I'm still going to defend you. Consider me you're knight, love."

He pressed his lips against hers and she found herself responding to his kiss.

__

My Knight? But would you really be there if I were in trouble? I doubt it, just like you left me standing in the cold that night. You wouldn't have made me get back up on that stage again because you know what happened last time and I also know that, though you barely have an decency in you at all, you wouldn't want that to happen to me again. I wonder if you tell you're "ladies" the same damn thing. I'm just another one of your hoes so why the hell wouldn't you?

She felt him getting closer to her.

__

What about Squall? I don't want any more people to get hurt, his face was so swollen the last time I saw him and yet he didn't even yell at me or tell me to get Seifer the f*ck away from him. Why is he so silent? Why can't Seifer just leave him alone? But…he had my key. Why did he have my key? Was he planning to hurt me because Seifer hurt him? Perhaps he would try to attack me to get back at Seifer. I don't know anything about him; he's a complete stranger.

He trailed kisses down her neck and she closed her eyes, holding onto him.

__

**

"Dance again tonight."

"Why?"

"Because I want you to, I want to see you dancing."

"I'm tired and today's my only day off. Forget it."

"Love, I'm begging you to do this for me."

She was dancing on stage, swaying her hips fast and moving to the music, keeping in step with the other female dancers onstage at the large club. The lights flashed and the music blared. It wasn't uncommon for guys to sometimes come onstage and dance with one of them. This time a guy wearing a long black trench coat and a dark face came up and placed his hands on her hips. At first she thought it was Seifer and so she started sliding his hands along her hips and pulling off some tight dance moves until she realized this guy was wearing gloves. For a second she arched her eyebrows but quickly just assumed it was someone who wanted to have fun so she continued dancing and blended with him, though he was a bit off-step she managed to keep up with him and they didn't look too bad. After the dance began to change she turned around to wave goodbye to him because Seifer was staring at her intently. She tried to shrug him off politely but he continued dancing and wouldn't take his hands off her, slowing down her steps in an attempt to show him she wanted to stop and looking to Seifer in alarm. He gave her a confused look and she tried motioning to the person dancing behind her but she didn't think he noticed the dancer.

As a last resort, she tried whispering for him to let go but he ignored her and continued dancing so she slowly guided them off stage, while remaining to dance but not as daringly. She looked to Seifer again but it appeared that he was busy dancing with someone, by now she and the dancer had both stopped dancing but he wouldn't release her and had a strong grip on her by that time. They were right by a set of doors leading outside to the alley and suddenly he pushed her outside.

"Who the hell do you think you are? I have a job here and-"

"Seifer said it was cool."

"Huh?" 

He had let go of her no but she had nowhere to turn to because it was a dead end behind her and he was blocking the way out of the alley.

"Seifer, I paid him off and he told me that you and I could have some fun together."

She gritted her teeth and cursed the asshole.

"Most likely he meant out on the floor in the club. Now if you'll excuse me-"

"No, for the amount he made me pay him I'd say that he meant things could go a bit further."

"Look, I'm a seventeen year old student, not a prostitute so I'm sorry but this isn't going to go any further. Go talk to Seifer if you're unpleased."

"I don't think so."

She tried to move past him but he wouldn't let her by. She tried pushing him away but he only continued to advance towards her.

"Fine, I gave you fair warning." She backed up rather quickly and then began running forward, jumping off the ground and attempting to do a round off past him and catch him off guard but he only grabbed onto her calves and made her fall to the ground.

She jumped up and brushed herself up then spun her foot around in a flash and aimed for ribs so she could push him back and knock the breath out of him. He dodged the kick and responded to it by grabbing her and shoving her roughly against the wall. Her head made a thud as it connected with the bricks and the world threatened to close in around her as her vision blurred and everything started to spin. She felt herself sinking to the ground, down the wall and couldn't do anything about it. The man was coming toward her again and she pretended to close her eyes and pass out but when he was within her reach she kicked out her foot and did a roundhouse kick, knocking him off balance.

"Seifer! Help!" She shouted, now desperate for some kind of intervention as the man got to his feet and the world lurched again before her eyes. Summoning all her strength, the pounded on the doors and kicked them with her feet before the man came running at her, at which time she moved out of the way just in time so that he ran into the doors and slammed against them.

"Bitch, get your ass over here."

"Leave me alone!" She shouted as he came charging at her. She didn't even have the chance to move away because he was too fast and everything was becoming blurry. The impact of him charging at her knocked her to the ground and by that time she felt hot tears coming to her eyes. He was about to place his hands on her when the door was kicked open and Seifer, Fujin and Raijin came running out. Seifer leapt over the guy and kicked him off, then kicked numerous other times before crouching down and punching him. Seifer didn't stop brutally kicking and punching him until the man had passed out, at which time he called Fujin and Raijin over to make sure he didn't try to get up. She saw him running over to her and she tried to blink back the tears.

"Love…" He mumbled in shock, seeing her on the ground with a bruise that was quickly forming and swelling on her cheek and a small pool of blood from the back of her head where she had bumped into the wall.

"I'm sorry." He wrapped his arms around her and picked her up, cradling her carefully and examining the wound to her head. She passed out…

**

And now he was lying beside her in bed telling her about his plans for later. She sat up and noticed that it was later in the afternoon as she glanced at her bedside clock.

"You should get going."

"Probably, but are you sure you want me to leave?"

"Why wouldn't I want you to go?"

He sighed and smirked at her before yawning as he sat up.

"Will you be working tomorrow?"

"Yes, will you be there?"

"Perhaps…I'm still surprised that you're dancing again and so smoothly."

"Dancing isn't just something that you forget over the span of a year, no matter how much I wish it was."

"You sound unhappy. If you don't enjoy dancing then why do you continue getting up on stage."

When she looked at him she had daggers in her eyes.

"I didn't exactly have a chance to get offstage when you and Irvine forced me up there. Why did you make me go up there again?"

"Irvine needed a dancer, he said that no matter how hard he tried to convince Selphie to get up there, she was just too shy. So I casually mentioned-"

"Just like you casually mentioned that it was okay for that jerk to bloody feel me up in the alley last year. I'm betting that you had the entire thing set up ever since the moment you told me about the damn job."

That shut him up, she supposed that he felt rather bad because he got up and slipped his shirt on.

"I'm sorry." She said, lowering her gaze to the floor.

"You still haven't forgiven me for what happened back then. I know you probably never will. Perhaps that's why you're so cold to me, hmm?" He cupped his hand around her face and tilted it up to meet his gaze.

"I know that I argue with you and bother you but I never mean to make you feel bad."

"It doesn't matter. What happened, happened and I obviously can't go back and change the past. I can't change your feelings either."

"You don't have to. I don't blame you for what happened, I know that you never meant for things to go that far and you didn't have bad intentions planned for me."

"Is that all?" He asked, grabbing his coat.

"………"

"There's going to be a party at around midnight, I should be back by then so if you'd like to go then I'll drop by later."

"Fine, but you'd better be on time. I'm not going to be up waiting until the damn morning for you to come."

He closed the door behind him and she heard his footsteps walking over to the elevator. Grabbing a shirt from where it had fallen on the floor, she slipped it back over her head and slipped into her flares for the second time that day. She grabbed the small slip of paper with Squall's apartment number on it and tucked it into one of her back-pockets seeing as she had no normal ones. She waited until she heard him board the elevator and the doors shut until she opened the door and began striding towards the stairs that would take her to the 16th floor which was the very top floor of the building while her room was only the 10th.

She jogged down the hall and continued to job up the flights of stairs, energetic and a bit anxious. When she thought about it, she didn't even know why she wanted to pay a visit to Squall except for the chance to ask him why he had her ring and keys. For a moment, she wondered if he really was a stalker and perhaps she should stay away from him but that suspicion quickly dissipated when she thought about how genuinely concerned he had been when guarding over her in the apartment. 

__

Or was he just snooping around? 

No, she decided, he was a perfectly normal Senior Student that attended Balamb High and, though a bit mysterious and strange, she had no concrete proof that convinced her that his intentions were bad.

She exhaled and came to a halt as she finally reached his floor and she began walking down the hall which had floor to ceiling windows on the right and the rooms on the left. The sun made the entire floor seem bright and clean. As she looked at the numbers on the doors, she realized that the next one was Squall's. She hesitated for only a moment before stepping forward and knocking.

Quistis heard noises coming from inside and then footsteps coming towards the door. There was a jingling of locks on the inside before the door opened and Squall stood in front of her.

"Squall…" She stopped, examining his face, a few bruises were still visible. His shirt was off and he was wearing baggy khakis, there was a deep purple mark that was just starting to show below his rib cage. Carefully, not knowing what else to do, she placed her hand lightly on his stomach and examined the bruise further. He pulled back and stared into her eyes, wondering what she was doing. Her previous thoughts and intentions were instantly forgotten about.

"I took a medical course last year, let me help you." She asked him, her eyes were pleading with him.

"I don't think your boyfriend would want that." 

"You honestly think I care what Seifer thinks? He can go to hell for all I care."

He seemed surprised by this a lifted an eyebrow for a moment, still trying to decide what to do. He started closing the door and she sighed, however he changed his mind and opened it, motioning for her to come in. Apparently, he didn't like a messy apartment either because his was just as clean as hers was, maybe even more so. He led her into the living room and as he turned around she noticed he had a few bruises on his back as well.

"Do you have a first aid kit?" She asked, hoping he would answer yes.

He nodded and pointed to an open door behind her, which she presumed was the bathroom. She went in and found the kit in the cupboard under the sink. Opening the two latches and inspecting its contents carefully, she pulled out a tube of cream.

"Do you have any ice?" She called to him from inside the bathroom. He got up and went into the kitchen, when he came out he had an icetray and a cloth. She followed him back into the living room where he took a seat on a small leather couch.

Crouching down below him, Quistis noticed that he had purple, half-moons under his eyes and his skin was rather pale however she ignored that and got to work on his stomach.

"Relax your stomach muscles." She instructed, grabbing two icecubs out of the tray and placing them in the cloth. Before applying it she squeezed a small amount of the cream onto her finger and gently began rubbing it into where the purple was beginning to show.

"Seifer is an idiot. All I can do is give you my apology and my word that it won't happen again."

"It's my fault." He said.

His voice was deep and slightly emotionless although it wasn't too deep.

"Hardly. You saved me from a blizzard, I wouldn't exactly consider that _your fault _that you saved me because I was an idiot and didn't have drive home."

"I held onto some of your things."

She turned her attention away from the wound for a moment and looked into his eyes.

"Why?"

"………"

"You're not exactly the talkative type, are you? That's all right. I'll be out of here soon. I'm guessing you probably don't want me here anyway."

"It's not that-"

"it's just none of my business?" She finished his sentence for him in the form of a question.

"Whatever."

"I guess we're more alike then I thought."

She went back to work on the bruise, gently massaging the area around it with her fingertips and trying not to cause him any pain.

"Do they hurt?"

"No."

She moved her way up to his face and found herself looking into his eyes once again.

Grabbing the icepack, she carefully applied it to his cheek and below his eye. He grunted slightly when she placed it below his eye.

"You're eye muscles are very sensitive right now due to the fact that the area below your eyes is swollen."

"I noticed." He replied and scowled with disinterest.

"The one on your cheek is almost gone, it's not even swollen anymore. I don't think it needs any ice." 

She placed her hand gently on his cheek for a moment but quickly realized what it seemed like and blushed slightly as she took her hand away.

"Stand up and turn around." She ordered.

He gave her a quizzical look.

"You have a few bruises on your back too, I want to see how bad they are and if they need any attention."

He hesitantly did as she asked and she noticed one of the bruises was right on his lung, it was probably extremely painful. She wasn't sure whether or not she should touch it. The other one seemed to be near his upper shoulder and was almost gone, like the one on his cheek.

"Go ahead." He said, sensing her uncertainty.

First, she put a small amount of cream on her hand and, being as gentle as possible, she rubbed it in.

"There you go. Just remember to be careful about the bruise near your lower back, okay?" She began gathering up the first aid supplies off of the floor.

"Quistis…"

"Hmm?" She looked up at him.

"Why did you come here?"

"I-well…it doesn't matter." She mumbled as she stood up and headed over to the bathroom.

"?"

"Seifer mentioned that you had my keys and that he hurt you. I was concerned so I came up to see…to see if you were all right." Placing the medical supplies back in carefully and shutting the lid, she turned around to face Squall who was standing at the doorway of the bathroom. He was silent for a moment but then began staring into her eyes.

"Your hands were frostbitten when I carried you up to your apartment. After unlocking your door I placed your keys in my pocket. The first thing I did when I got you inside was soak your hands and feet in warm water and your ring slipped off when it was in the water. I placed it on my own finger because I was busy boiling water for your coffee at the time." He paused, "When I was heading up to your apartment with your keys, I was planning to return them to you."

"But that imbecile stopped you." She said.

He nodded and looked away.

"I was…" He cleared his throat, "I didn't know that you had passed out when I was on my bike and so I was planning to return you home instead of going to the hospital."

"I see. Well, I suppose that clears up everything. I owe you, Squall."

She had walked over to the door and he had followed.

"I know this was a short visit and I still barely know you, but…I'd like to get to know you better. If you're ever bored or lonely, I'm assuming you live here by yourself, you can come down during the week and see me at the Opium."

"…………"

__

"Good bye," She placed her hand on his face again, at first he seemed like he would pull away but he didn't, "And take care of yourself."


	6. Red Red Rose : Caged Angel

****

Red + Red + Rose : Chpt. Five : Caged Angel

Diary Entry: 0057 Date: 03-21-05

Squall came down to the Opium last night, he was near the front of the stage with Zell and I was incredibly surprised when I saw him. I told Zell about how I was trying to strike a friendship with Squall so I'm guessing that he had a bit of influence on Squall's decision to come. I suppose that's the only entertaining thing that happened to me in the past week. Seifer bought me a diamond pendant for my birthday, which I celebrated that night at the club. We were all sitting around a table – Squall, Seifer, Zell, Selphie, Irvine and I. We ate some cake, had a few shots and danced for a while. Nothing special, but my most eventful birthday in the past five years. I could tell that the tension in the room was probably high, Seifer and Squall were exchanging glares, however Irvine and Selphie were doing the exact opposite. I believe that they're a couple although I could be wrong.

Zell convinced me to open the Harvard envelope, it looks like I'll be going there next year so I'm rather pleased about that. I know that it will be difficult but I believe that I'm up for the challenge.

Yesterday, when I was outside in the park with the kitty, I saw a woman around my age walking a dog. I could have sworn that I recognized her from somewhere, though I could be mistaken because I've ever seen her at Balamb and I'm not even sure if she lives in the apartment.

"You have an online journal? Can I read it?" Zell asked. She was talking to him over ICQ and he was particularly talkative this evening.

__

"Of course you can't, I have all my private thoughts in…" She began typing, but bit her lip and pressed the backspace key until the entire row of text was gone.

__

"It's nothing interesting." She replaced it with, and clicked on the send button.

"I'll bet. You probably have in-depth details about you and Seifer."

__

"Hardly. What makes you think that I've ever even gone very far with Seifer?"

"Oh, I can tell. Just the way he acts towards you, like a husband and wife or something. You guys 

know each other really well."

__

"Husband and wife? I'd die if that ever happened. I can honestly say that I hate Seifer's guts and everything he thinks he is. The stupid two-bit pimp thinks he literally "owns" the streets. You're correct in saying that we know each other well, though."

"Then why are you two together?"

__

"If I knew the answer, I'd tell you. GTG, bye."

"Later."

She signed off ICQ and shut her computer down. The oven beeped, signaling that her fries were ready. Grabbing her class of water from off of the computer desk, she strolled into the kitchen and shut off the heat dial while placing her glass on the counter. She grabbed a can of cat food from out of the fridge and shoved it into the can-opener. The cat pranced into the kitchen, eager for his dinner. She slipped an oven mitt over her hand, grabbed the fries out of the oven and dumped the contents of the tray onto a plate. Just as she was about to grab the can of cat food, there was a knock on the door.

__

Seifer didn't say he'd drop by, he hasn't called for the entire day. I wonder where he is…? Maybe that's him.

She forgot about the cat-food and strided over to the door, unlocked the multiple steel and brass locks that had recently been replaced due to Seifer's incessant bitching, and opened the door to see a very distraught-looking Irvine.

"Baby-" He started, Quistis slammed the door in his face.

"I'm not working today!" She shouted to him. 

"Please, I'm desperate. My pair of cage-dancers left and I need you to fill in for them. I'm begging you Quisty, you're the only one I've got."

She sighed and gazed out the window, leaning her back against the door.

"What's in it for me?"

"A bonus in your paycheck and a special room with Seifer for later tonight."

"A special room? What exactly are you getting at?" She asked, very confused.

"He said that you didn't want to be disturbed today because you were tired and he wouldn't even let me come here to pick you up until I promised him something for later."

"That idiot has some nerve."

"Which is exactly why you should come with me, to tell him off!" Irvine pleaded.

Gritting her teeth, she turned around and opened the door.

"I'm not ready. Give me five minutes."

She slammed the door again and emerged, true to her word, five minutes later wearing a daring tight skirt and a tube top that showed off her athletic figure. Her legs were covered in knee high boots and fishnets while she had a light jacket around her.

"Let's go." She told him, leading him into the elevator.

"New outfit?"

She was silent.

"Uhm, I'm really sorry about this."

She didn't even speak a word.

"You know, on second thought, if you're really-"

"Just shut up and let's go. If it makes you feel better, I didn't exactly have anything planned for tonight anyway."

He grinned, relieved that she wasn't as angry as she had seemed a few seconds before. He led her out towards his car and she hopped in. As soon as he got in and turned the engine over the stereo came on, blasting punk music and shaking the entire car with the bass. It didn't bother her much, she was used to it in the club so why should it be a big deal if it was in a car?

"Yeah, baby, lets push this thing." They sped through the icy streets of Chicago, spinning and sliding as Quistis closed her eyes and prayed that they wouldn't crash.

"You reckless idiot, there's ice on the roads." She shouted,

"It's okay."

He pressed his foot down harder on the accelerator and they went speeding through a red light.

"This is the last, and I do mean the last, time that I'm ever driving with you."

"Don't you like skidding?"

She scoffed at the thought of skidding on a patch of ice and gripped on to the dashboard for the remainder of the drive.

"Hey, Quistis, wake up. We're here."

She looked up, sure enough they were parked in front of the Opium, however the car was crooked and in an illegal parking zone. Before she could say anything he jumped out and motioned for her to follow him inside. Opening the car door quickly and chasing after him, she almost fell on a patch of ice had he not grabbed onto her and ushered her through the door while flashing the bouncer a smile.

"Okay, now all you have to do is step into the cage and they'll pull you up, it's not that far, maybe thirty feet above the ground."

"Thirty damn feet? I'm not fond of heights."

"Yeah, well, it's not so bad when you're up there. Don't worry, it's safe."

She sighed but followed him to the stage where Selphie was waiting. Irvine lowered his mouth to hers and gave her a light kiss before jumping up on stage discreetly, pulling Quistis up, and leading her towards the cage.

"All you have to do is dance, that's it. Seifer's up there." He pointed to the upperfloor and she saw Seifer smirking at her as he usually did when she danced, "At around one, the cage will be lowered back to the ground and you can go with Seifer into your _room._"

"I-"

Before she had a chance to say anymore he gave her a light push towards the cage and gestured for her to step in.

"Must I do this? Why can't I just dance on stage? I don't trust this thing."

"Just go on, I promise that if you get really scared that I'll come and get you."

She nodded and stepped into the metal cage, regretting her decision the moment that Irvine closed the door.

"Relax, you'll do great."

"I know." She said and he gave her one more reassuring look before walking off and telling them to raise it.

The ride up was agonizing, she kept thinking that all of a sudden it would just drop to the floor, however it did no such thing and all thirty feet of the way up it was smooth. Forgetting about her small fear of heights and taking a quick glance around her to see how the other cage-dancers were moving to the music, she began to blend in with them. Moving her hands around her body and swaying her hips to the music, she was getting in to it, slowly but surely. The cage didn't even rattle as she did a few of the faster moves.

__

This is the stupidest thing I've ever heard of, being trapped in a cage, thirty feet above the ground, dancing to music while everyone stares up at you. This must be the most degrading thing I've done in my entire career.

She glanced to where Seifer had been watching before and squinted as she made out two other people beside him. She wondered what was going on. They appeared to be chatting but she couldn't be sure. Seifer had an odd expression on his face, it seemed like he was angry and he was no longer paying attention to her. Carefully slowing down her dancing, as not to draw too much attention to herself or appear to be stopping, she watched him converse with the two other people. They were big, both in height and mass she noticed, and they wore long coats and visors that hid their eyes.

__

What's going on? Is he making a deal with someone?

She saw one of the men step forward threateningly and the other came closer to him as well. Seifer raised his hands and shook his head, protesting something. They both came in even closer and he got out of his chair then backed up slowly.

The song changed to a faster one so she had to move a bit more rapidly, however she never broke her gaze from Seifer and the two people.

__

Why on earth does he look so worried? Fuck, he probably has to leave. If he abandons me here I swear to God…

She saw that they were yelling now and narrowed her eyebrows. Seifer looked like he was about to punch one of them but he kept backing away from them slowly. He noticed one of the men advanced towards him and she saw him try to push the man back.

__

That idiot probably forgot to get cash from one of his whores and picked a fight with them. But why does he look so troubled?

Quistis pressed her hands against the bars of the cage and grabbed onto them, trying to get a closer look, completely forgetting about her dancing, she still swayed her hips though. Suddenly Seifer moved forwards and delivered a blow to one of them in the stomach, the man buckled for a second but countered the blow with a punch of his own, directed at Seifer's ribcage.

Her mouth was agape and she stared at him trying to figure out what was going on. Seifer charged towards one of them and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick, catching the other guy off guard so he stumbled but didn't fall. 

She saw one of the men coming up behind him and her heart began to pound in her chest, her breathing quickened and she found herself gripping onto the cage bars to support her so she didn't fall.

"Watch out!" She mouthed to him, choking on the words as she watched Seifer's attacker spin him around and punch him in the face,

"Irvine!" She shouted, looking around for him desperately, "Irvine get me out of here!"

Her heart almost stopped and her eyes widened as she saw one of the guys pull out a gleaming silver object. The music was too loud, the bass pounded. The lights blended together and she couldn't hear herself think. She didn't know what was going on, all she could do was stare at Seifer getting hurt.

The man with the silver object, which she could now make out to be a knife, put it up to Seifer's neck, he was now crouching on the floor, recovering from the blow to his face. The man pulled his head back and pressed it harder into his neck.

"SEIFER!" She shouted.

__

Why doesn't anyone notice?! He's going to get killed! Someone help, assholes!! Help him! Irvine where are you!

Her heart caught in her throat as she saw the other man kick Seifer in the side, aiming for his ribs.

"Help!" She screamed, now desperate to get down as she watched the man kick him again. She rattled the cage and it shook violently.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a few people had turned to stare at her as the cage continued to rock and sway. Hot tears stung at her eyes but she blinked them back knowing that they wouldn't help anything. She saw a trail of blood on the floor near Seifer and raised a hand to her face.

Suddenly one of the men pulled out a dark object. It had a barrel and a trigger. It was a gun and it was real.

She rattled the cage even more, trying to get out or at least draw attention to herself.

"Watch out!" She yelled to him as loud as she could.

He was not that far away and turned to look at her for a second, he looked frightened, he reached out for her with his arm but curled into a ball as he was brutally kicked again.

"Irvine! You asshole, let me out of here!" She cried, her voice was strained.

She could only watch as one of the men put the gun up to his temple and said something to him. He nodded weakly and the man who had the knife grabbed the back of Seifer's coat and dragged him to his feet. 

__

Please don't let him die. Please don't let him die. Please don't' let him die. 

Her mind was swimming with worries and thoughts while her vision was blurred with another batch of fresh tears.

She shouted and pushed herself against the cage as hard as she could, making it creak and groan as it began to sway again. More people were staring at her and pointing.

__

You bastards, he's going to die!

Her voice gave out and she bit her lip, not knowing what to do anymore. She felt herself sliding to the bottom of the cage, she was scrunched up on the floor and her arm reached out for Seifer.

He was being punched and kicked while being dragged towards a set of doors that would take him outside. It looked as if he was on the verge of passing out but he reached out to her and mouthed something.

__

"I'm sorry."

"Don't go." She whispered.

The sound of her heart thudding in her chest droned out the music and the bass seemed to go in time with her heartbeat. She saw the men open a door and shove Seifer outside, however the other one turned to look at her, noticing that most of the people in the club were watching her now and the dancers had stopped. She saw him raise the pistol and stared at him, unable to will her limbs to move, she heard a deafening noise like an explosion and saw the man run outside, everyone turned to stare at where the sound had come from. Time slowed down and she saw the bullet flying towards her, it ripped through the air and got closer and closer.

__

I have to live.

She heard cries of terror and screams coming from below her but didn't even notice. Her eyes were fixed on the bullet. Thoughts, images, sounds raced through her mind, she saw herself with Seifer but he was too far away for her to reach him. She heard herself inhale sharply and she ducked her head, curling into a ball to avoid impact with the advancing bullet.

It came at her, racing through the air and full speed, and made a direct hit with the chain link that held her cage above the ground. The chain was severed, the cage shook and rocked before detaching from the chain and smashing to the ground. She saw the floor getting closer and closer as the small metal chamber dropped. People ran away from the stage and leapt off it.

__

I'm going to die. This is it. Goodbye… She closer her eyes and prepared for the earth shattering impact which came a few seconds later and she blacked out.

__

Forever? Is this hell? 

Bright lights surrounded her, she squinted and tried to look around but everything was blurry and had a reddish tone to it. 

Quistis was dimly aware of people shouting and sirens blaring but focused her attention towards trying to sit up. She realized that she couldn't move her arms or legs, she could not feel anything – pain, fear, anger...it was like being numb.

It was like travelling back to her childhood when she had been pulled away from the car, struggling and crying. Except this time she wasn't trying to get away. The sound of her heartbeat sounded in her ears and she heard herself inhaling, although her breathing sounded static-like.

The world wouldn't clear and her heart wouldn't stop pounding so she closed her eyes and allowed herself to be taken in by the inky blackness.

Am I dead? Why am I still breathing? What happened to Seifer? Too many questions, not enough answers.


	7. Red Red Rose : Difference

****

Red + Red + Rose : Chpt. Six : Difference

The beeping did not subside, it continued to sound in the background along with the low humming of numerous other machines that were hooked up to her and keeping her alive.

__

I fell.

Her mind started to un-fog and she began remembering what happened. She had been dancing at the club and two large men had started attacking Seifer. They had a gun and a knife in their possession and they dragged Seifer out of the club before shooting her cage to the floor. She came to, only for a moment, when being raced into the ambulance that was taking her to the intensive care unit in the hospital. 

__

I want to wake up.

She blinked her eyes open to stare into the face of a petite girl around her age with flowing raven-colored hair. She looked please to see her awaken from her deep slumber.

"Just another one who fell for him." She said, the girl was sitting on the edge of her bed and staring at her now, "I'll bet you hate him right now too."

"What?" She asked, her voice came out in a whisper.

"Seifer Almasy, who else would I be talking about? Welcome back to the real world, Quistis. We've got to get you out of here soon, before they come around."

"What the hell are you?"

"My name is Rinoa Heartilly, I'm an independent agent along with my partner. We work closely with the FBI but we're not an actual unit."

"Agent?"

She nodded and studied the wires that were attached to Quistis.

"Blake's men will be here soon to _finish up the job_, I've got to get you out of this hospital before they come around."

"I don't understand?"

"You were an eye-witness to a beating and kidnapping. You have some dangerous people on your back."

"Who's Blake?" She tested the name on her tongue.

"The man behind all of this. He's a cold, heartless f***er but he's one of the most powerful criminals in this city.

"What does he want with Seifer?"

"Seifer had a little brawl with Blake about one of his prostitutes, the argument was a heated one. Your boyfriend believed that Blake abducted and killed one of his women and he was correct."

"So Blake go angry?"

"Yes. He acted cool and calm about it when Seifer confronted him and walked off but then sent a few of his men to grab Seifer."

"How do you know Seifer?"

"I used to be one of _them. _Standing on a corner to please him."

"I see. So how are you planning to get me out of here? I have no clue what half these tubes and machines are doing."

"That's alright." She leaned in closer and grabbed Quistis' hand, examining the tubes carefully, she grabbed hold of them and tightened her grip, "This is going to hurt." 

She yanked out the intervenus and another strange tube as well.

"Shit." Quistis bit her lip and winced.

"Alright, now all that's left is the one supplying you with extra oxygen. Can you breathe okay?"

Nodding through the pain, she clenched her hands into fists.

"Don't worry, this one won't hurt."

She ripped off the other tube as quick as possible and removed it from Quistis mouth.

"Okay, this hospital gown doesn't help at all."

"I'm sorry that I couldn't bring a pair of extra clothes." Quistis' voice dripped with sarcasm.

"There's no time for arguing or insults. Put this on."

Rinoa shoved a pair of tight-fitting black pants and a matching tank top at her and turned around.

"Go on."

Slipping the top over her head and sliding the pants over her legs and hips, she dressed quickly and stood behind Rinoa.

"Are we going? What happened to Irvine?"

"Irvine locked himself in his apartment and Squall's waiting outside your room."

"Irvine…" She whispered.

"Don't worry, he'll be okay." Rinoa put on a pair of sunglasses and handed a pair to Quistis, "You weren't even hurt badly, just a few cuts, bruises and a concussion."

"Why is Squall waiting?"

"Squall and I are a pair. We work together and don't trust anyone else, but we're making an exception this time. We need your help to find and stop Blake. I know that you want to stop him too."

"By my beside? You and Squall work together?" She asked, they stepped outside the room and, sure enough, Squall was waiting for them.

He took a long look at Quistis and then Rinoa before leading them down the hall and into the elevator.

"Yes, I first met him after getting into a bad situation when working for Seifer. Squall helped me."

"Then why-"

"Did I let Seifer beat me up? We've been following you for a while now, we knew that Seifer was dealing with Blake and we knew that you were close to him. Obviously, we couldn't talk to Seifer because he would have too many questions for Rinoa and wouldn't want to help after what she did to him."

"So," Rinoa continued for him, "We thought that you might be a bit more willing to help."

"Were you at the club last night?"

"Yes." Rinoa replied.

"Then why didn't you help him?" She asked her, suddenly becoming angry.

"Calm down, we couldn't go after Blake's men because he had backup lurking around. There were too many and we didn't know that they would try to take Seifer that night."

"You could have at least-"

"We'll get him back, don't worry." Rinoa interrupted.

The elevator doors opened and they walked through the lobby and toward the parking lot. She had too many questions on her mind to even begin thinking of what would happen now.

__

How, exactly, do you plan to get Seifer back? Why are they independent agents? Has Squall ever opened up to Rinoa? How long were they following me?

Her head swam with thoughts and so she decided to ignore them. It wasn't doing her any good to worry about Seifer and his injuries either. As they walked throug the hospital corridors she lowered her gaze to the floor, making sure that nobody would recognize her, and continued to follow Squall and Rinoa.

__

She used to work for Seifer? What did he do to her? Why are the both dressed in black with sunglasses?

She noted that she had several bruises on her arm and then looked at Squall.

__

So that's where he got the other bruises from. What else have they been doing, aside from tracking down Blake?

Everyone was silent as they walked through the doors leading outside and headed over to a jeep and a motorcycle.

"You'll be riding with Squall in the Jeep, he'll drive you home to salvage whatever you can from your apartment. I'll be taking the bike to check out what's happening at Seifer's corners."

Quistis nodded at plan and followed Squall into the Jeep while watching Rinoa mount the motorcycle and start it up. She clipped on her seatbelt and watched Squall as he revved up the engine before nodded to Rinoa and backing out.

"What did she mean when she said _salvage_?" She asked him.

"They trashed your apartment. We don't think they took anything."

"Why? I don't have anything of value…I can't imagine why they would want to do such a thing."

He shrugged and kept his eyes on the road.

"What should I be grabbing from my apartment?"

"Clothes, money, valuables, assuming that they didn't take those things."

"Tell me, again, why you need me on this case?'

"Because Seifer only trusts you."

"I see. Where will I be staying now that my apartment's out of the question?"

"With Rinoa and I."

She was quiet for a moment, gathering her thoughts. Everything seemed to be happening too fast.

"What about school?"

"You'll be absent from school due to a severe case of bronchitis."

"And Irvine? Is he in danger?"

"Not in any immediate danger. We'd prefer not to get him involved though."

"He…must be…"

"He'll get over it. Our main cocern is hiding you from Blake, especially if Seifer talks to them."

"I want to see him."

"………"

She sighed and drummed her fingers on the dashboard.

"Can you at least talk to him?"

"It doesn't matter right now. It's not important."

"To you. It's not important to you because you don't have any damn emotions. I don't even want to think of what Irvine is feeling right now. They probably didn't let him in to see at the hospital and he's most likely hell-bent on believe it's his fault I got hurt. Listen, I'm going to see him whether I have your permission or not."

"………"

"I don't even know what's going on anymore. I wake up in a hospital stretcher after Seifer gets bloody kidnapped and then I find out you two work for the FBI and I can't even make my own decisions anymore."

"Whatever."

"Don't put on that act. You know that I'm all you have right now, stop the Jeep."

He turned to glare at her for a moment, she had gotten him angry.

"There's no time for it now. You can see him later." He said.

The remainder of the ride back to the appartment was a silent one. It seemed like hours before they finally pulled up and got out of the Jeep. She followed him in and through the doors, into the elevator that took them to her floor. She walked behind him, her footsteps echoing on the cold, hard marble floor. He reached the room before she did and motioned for her to stay outside and wait for him to call her in.

"Why?"

"Just wait."

He went in, she saw him reaching for something, a holster that was near his belt and looked away. He pushed the door opened, the locks had been broken, and disappeared. A few seconds later she heard him call to her so she pushed through the door. The first thing she noticed was the lamps were smashed, the second thing was that the television was toppled over. The couches and chairs had been ripped open and her computer screen had been smashed, while the actual computer was lying on the floor, crushed under the book case. Floppy disks and shards from CDs covered the floor and her books were scattered all around as well. The clothes had been completely emptied out of her closet and chesterfields in her bedroom, they laid in piles on the floor while her cabinets were smashed and lying on their sides.

"…are you all right?"

She nodded weakly and gave him an inquisitive look, he was standing infront of the kitchen door and blocking her way in.

"You shouldn't come in here."

"Why not? I can deal with all the other thing-"

She choked on her words when she saw the cat's dish shattered on the floor by the kitchen. She turned around and made it into her bedroom before he could see the tears spill over her cheeks and hugged her pillow close to her to muffle her cries as she collapsed on her bed. They had killed it, the only thing that she had left as a companion. Her kitty that she had grown to love over the five years that she had it. She was sick of it. Too sick to go on. The assholes were going to pay…but not now.

__

Cool, calm and always collected Quisty is finally breaking down. What a shame. It's not as if it wasn't coming sooner or later. Seifer's gone, I'm not allowed to see my friends, my apartment is a complete reck and Blake's cronies even killed my cat. They must really hate me. Is it all Seifer's fault? Did he tell them where I lived so they would spare his life? Kill you…kill you…kill you…

"Let's go." She felt two strong arms grab her waist and lift her up, she stumbled on her feet but managed to keep her balance with his grip, "You don't need anything here."

He guided her out of the room and supported her as they went back downstairs and into the jeep. However, just as she was getting into the vehicle she saw Zell running up to her through her tears. He was yelling something but she couldn't here it, taking her hands away from her face she turned to look at him through the window. His jaw was open as he stared at her, evidently worried and confused. She could only stare at him as Squall pressed his foot down on the gas petal and they sped away.

"I-I'm sorry for breaking down back there." She mumbled, feeling rather foolish.

"Forget it."

"I thought your room was back there."

"No, that's just where we were staying for a while when watching you."

"So, you two are…?"

He turned to look at her.

"Together." He finished, concentrating on the road.

She nodded at that and gazed out the window, wondering what Zell would tell Irvine and Selphie.

"So where's your other apartment?"

"Not far."

"What's that supposed to mean? Hmm?"

"It's near downtown."

"Oh. How long have you lived by yourselves?"

"Six years, maybe longer."

"Squall…"

"…………"

"Nevermind. What are we going to do after getting back?"

"When Rinoa gets back we'll talk about the plan."

"What _is _the plan?"

"To infilterate Blake's penthouse, bring him down and, if possible, get Seifer out alive."

"I don't understand. I thought the entire purpose of this thing was to save Seifer."

"It means that as much as we want to get Seifer out alive, it's not our primary objective."

"I suppose my feelings towards that aren't relevant or important, are they?"

"No."

It was a quiet ride to the apartment, Quistis had a lot on her mind and there were things she needed to get sorted out. When they finally arrived, Squall led her upstairs and up to their room. It wasn't bad, two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, bathroom and a balcony with a fair view of the city. 

"You'll be sleeping on the futon, I'll get you some blankets and a pillow."

She stood by the balcony, watching the cars go by underneath and looking around the city. There was an old church nearby and a few small stores. She noticed that the Honey-Bee Pub wasn't too far away from this area. There was a playground and an an elementary school, along with a few other apartment buildings and houses. Squall emerged from what she guessed was his bedroom with a few things for her. He placed them down on the futon.

"How long will I be staying here?" She asked, still looking around outside.

"Until Blake's out of the way."

"And then?"

"Then you can go home with Seifer, if he survives."

She turned around to face him and stared into his eyes.

"Do you really think that he'll die?"

"I don't know."

"How can you be so damn bitter? This is a person's life that-"

"And it's also a hardcore criminal and his team. We get our orders from the FBI and can't help it if Seifer's life isn't the most important thing right now."

Just then, Rinoa walked into the room, she gazed at Squall for a moment before turning to Quistis.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure that we get Seifer out of there alive." Squall flashed a glare her way and she returned the look to him.

"Right now, we've got to think of a good plan. Blake's penthouse has really high security, I was just there. We won't just be able to stroll in there and expect them to let us in."

She sat down on the loveseat in the living room and indicated the others to sit down too.

"I was only able to get a quick look inside but it looks pretty big so we're going to need a map of the area. We're also gong to need…"

She glanced at Squall, wondering if she should say this infront of Quistis, he narrowed his eyebrows and nodded.

"We're also going to need a distraction, otherwise known as 'bait'."

"..and that's going to be my job, correct?" Quistis confirmed.

Rinoa nodded.

"I know this is a lot to take in at once and we still have to come up with the details. We'll need some back-up as well, but I'm not sure if I trust the FBI."

"It's better if we didn't have any. We don't know how many people are in on this." Squall replied.

"I guess that's out of the question then. What about a ride?"

"Kiros and Ward, they should be able to help us out."

"Right."

The brunette glanced out the window and noticed that it was already the late evening.

"I forgot to mention" She started, "That you shouldn't leave the apartment unless it's absolutely necessary. Blake's got people out looking for you and if they find you…"

"If they find me than I'll be dead." Quistis finished for her, her voice was almost as emotinless as Squall's.

"You should get to bed early, you're probably still worn out from the fall. Squall, you have to go to work soon, right?"

He nodded and got up.

"I thought that this _was _your work?"

"No, this is more like a side job. We both work and would usually go to school."

"Then how did you first become agents?"

"Squall used to be in a military academy and studied law, I started working with him after he rescued me." Rinoa replied.

Squall walked over to the door, where he picked up a duffel bag and nodded to the both of them before leaving.

"You can stay in my room tonight. I have some work to do in here."

"Positive?"

"Go ahead. Goodnight."

Quistis walked over to Rinoa's bedroom and flicked on the light. She noted that it was the only part of the apartment that we rather messy with clothes on the floor and a cluttered cabinet-top full of cosmetics and other useless items. She shut the door, slipped out of her pants, and turned off the light before hesitantly sitting down on the bed and getting under the covers.

__

A strange ceiling. I don't even know what I'm doing. Perhaps I'm dreaming. Hmph, it's been a nightmare from the start so why wouldn't I just be able to wake up? It all started with Seifer and it's probably going to end with Seifer. Squall seems so cold and solitary while Rinoa is the complete opposite. Interesting. 

She closed her eyes and willed sleep to come, wanting it to envelope her the same way that Squall's arms had surrounded her earlier when he led her out of the dump that used to be her living quarters.

__

Or perhaps I'm dead and this is hell, it certainly seems like it, the way that time has been compressed and in the span of a day my life has completely changed. I don't know anything about these people, nor do I particularly want to, but they need my assistance and I need theirs. Joining together for a common cause, it makes sense. But the rest of what happened yesterday is just one big blur. Seifer…arguing with an enemy over one of his women…the enemy getting back at him by brutally beating him and abducting him at a local club…two agents wanting to take out a man named Blake who's responsible for Seifer's kidnapping.

Eventually, sleep came and she drifted off into it's numbing paradise. It was only in dreams that she felt no real pain. 

__

She was standing, gripping onto the bars of the steel structure, watching Seifer get kicked and pummelled while she couldn't do a thing but cry out for them to stop. She watched them dragging him, leaving a trail of blood behind and saw herself shaking the cage, begging to be let down so she could see him and save him. How was she planning on saving him? She hadn't a clue but it didn't matter because they were getting closer and closer to the door. Her pleas came out muffled and choked with emotion as sobs threatened to rack her body. She held them back, not stopping in her vain efforts to free herself from that horrid cell.

Seifer was reaching out to her, saying he was sorry. Why was he apologizing? Because he wouldn't be there later? Because if he never bothered her and loved her, she would never have suffered the pain of losing him.

They were already at the door, it was too late for her to do anything, there was a sound much like the clap of thunder and then a bullet came sailing towards her, impaling itself through her heart…

She woke up instantly, breathing heavilly and prespiring. 

__

Get a grip, Quists. It was only a nightmare.

She sat up, wondering what she would do, not being able to get the image out of her mind. She realized that her mouth was as dry as cotton and stood up, weakly, grabbing for the pants Rinoa had lended her and pulling them up her legs and hips. Carefully, she walked over to the door, her eyes still adjusting to the door and was about to step outside when she heard noises coming from outside. The sounds resembled moaning and yells of passion. Quistis winced, figuring that Rinoa and Squall were probably engaging in the 'nightlife' portion of their relationship. She tried to drone them out and figured it would be alright for her to just grab a glass of water from the bathroom sink, without going past Squall's bedroom which she would have to do if she wanted to get to the kitchen. Being as quiet as possible, and failing miserably to block out the noises, she stepped outside the room and was very confused at what she saw.

Rinoa sat infront of the TV, calm and perplexed, titling her head to the side. She turned around and glanced in Squall's bedroom, there was nobody inside which baffled her even more. Her eyes strained to get a closer look at what Rinoa was watching, it seemed to be a couple, with sheets and limbs tangled as they pleasured one another.

Quistis cleared her throat and Rinoa turned around with the color drained from her face and her mouth was agape for a moment before she quickly paused the TV and stood up, stumbling and bumpling into the coffee table as she did so.

"Q-Quistis, what are you doing up?" She asked.

The blonde had a bemused expression on her face, realizing what had been going on.

"I was planning to grab a glass water from the kitchen but-"

"Uh, well you should probably grab it then." She stepped infront of the TV, blocking Quistis' view.

"Interesting program on the television? There were certainly some interesting sounds."

Rinoa winced and her face turned a dark crimson.

"I-I'm so sorry. I didn't know-"

"It's quite alright. I realize that I'm probably intruding on your personal space so don't give it a second thought."

"Are you feeling alright?" She asked, arching an eyebrow in surprise.

'Why wouldn't I be?"

"Oh, you don't know what that was do you?" Rinoa asked rather sheepishly.

"It would appear that the film seemed to resemble pornography." She answered honestly.

Rinoa patted the seat beside her on the couch, a serious expression on her face.

"What is it? Don't take offence, but I'm not interested."

"No, you should probably hear this."

Quistis sighed and walked over, taking a seat beside Rinoa and glancing at the television, which had been put on mute. She squinted, noticing something peculiar.

"When Squall and I went ot your apartment before I picked you up at the hospital, we found a hidden camera set up in your bedroom and multiple tapes."

Quistis turned a deathly shade of pale and then crimson red, realizing what those tapes were. First confusion and then suspicion as she turned to Rinoa, giving her a curious look.

"We brought them back here but I never got a chance to see them. I was going to check if we could get a glimpse at that ransacked your apartment through this tape. But…this isn't exactly what I expected to see…" She trailed off, not meeting Quistis gaze.

"I…I had no idea." She mumbled, "Who set those up?"

"Seifer."

'He was spying on me?"

"Apparently." She sighed.

They were both silent for a moment, wondering what to say. Quistis spoke up.

"I never knew he was so interested in me."

"You'd be surprised."

"Well, it's not your fault that Seifer's an asshole so don't feel bad, you were just trying to help."

Rinoa smiled at this, reilieved that she wasn't angry.

"What part of the FBI do you work for?" She asked.

"Drugs, mainly. But we do lots of things." The brunette replied.

"Is Blake a dealer?"

"Not just a dealer, he's committed much more then a few minor drug crimes. We're hoping to convict him of murder, assault, abduction, possesion of illegal items, and possesion of multiple, non-licensed weapons."

"The situation sound severe. Do any other agents know about this case?"

"Lots of people know about Blake and we even have a few other agents on his case right now but they just aren't doing a good enough job."

"So you've decided to help them out?"

"Exactly."

Rinoa picked up the tv controller and fastforwarded past that particular portion, stopping when Seifer's faced flashed in front of the camera. She took the Mute off.

"Heh, love, if you ever knew how much money I make off of these tapes…"

For a moment in time her heart stopped, her blood ran cold and she raised her hand to her head before clenching her fists in anger, gritting her teeth and standing up.

"I hope that bastard gets what he fucking deserves." She whispered before walking back into Rinoa's bedroom, she had to fight her emotions to stop herself from slamming the door.

__

"Damn you, Seifer." Rinoa whispered, silently cursing the idiot.


	8. Red Red Rose : Followed

****

Red + Red + Rose : Chpt. Seven : Followed

Diary Entry: 0058 Date: 04-15-05

I finished watching the videotapes, I don't know what to think. If Seifer was using me for profit of if he actually cared for me at one point…I don't know and I probably won't ever find out. I talked to Zell yesterday, I didn't tell Rinoa or Squall, just living with two other people is enough to make me want to leave this place but then Blake's men will find me and death is pointless. Rinoa has come up with a plan to get into Blake's penthouse and apparently we're going over it this evening. Without school or my job, I've been going nuts in the apartment when Rinoa and Squall are out at work but I promised them I wouldn't go out so I'll keep my word.

Quistis glanced out the window near the balcony, the weather had finally been getting milder and the snow had melted. It was particularly noisy outside that day because of a parade in the downtown area and she watched a few floats pass by before signing off the computer and walking into her bedroom.

__

Another day wasted in this small apartment. I'm going to go insane if I have to spend one more moment in here. I'm not even permitted to use the damn telephone.

She grabbed her coat out of Rinoa's closet and walked over to the balcony to continue watching the floats go by. 

__

I wonder what Seifer's doing right now? Who cares what he's doing, he was using me. But…Is he even still alive?

She scowled and willed the thought away, thinking about the last time she had been able to walk freely around outside without being caught up in any of this mess. Drumming her fingers on the railing, she contemplated going outside. Rinoa wouldn't be getting home for another hour or so and Squall was out at work as well. 

__

They act like they're my bloody parents. Fuck this.

She went back inside the apartment and walked over to the door, turning the knob and opening it. The hall looked deserted and the elevator was only a short distance away. She shut the door behind her and walked over to the lift that took her downstairs, to the lobby. It was a short ride down but it seemed to take hours because she was slightly nervous.

__

I'm only going to be walking around the front yard and perhaps visiting a few stores. There's nothing to really be afraid of as long as I stay within a relatively close distance.

Quistis walked through the lobby and out the front doors before her conscience made her turn around, she had made it to the front yard without any trouble and began walking down the small, cement path.

There was a small café and a few boutiques nearby and so she decided to go shopping for a while. Calmly walking down the sidewalk, she noted that the temperature had risen and a few leaves had started to appear on the massive trees around the area.

__

I can barely remember the last time it was this warm, even if it's not even summer yet.

The grass was no longer frozen and she noticed that not a pinch of snow was lying on the ground. She walked into the café and waiting in line, deciding whether she should order her usual Moccachino or an Iced Cauppachino instead. In the end, when it was her turn to order, she chose the latter and paid the woman at the register before grabbing her beverage and going back outside to continue her walk.

She hadn't seen Seifer in over two weeks, the break was nice. But she had also not seen Irvine, Zell or Selphie either. 

__

Irvine's dorm isn't too far from here, I could drop him a visit before Rinoa and Squall get back.

She began walking faster and broke into a jog, it felt good to run. At least she could feel something if she ran, unlike the numbness that usually set in when she was alone in the apartment. She felt her heart beginning to beat faster in her chest and her breathing quickened as well as she focused on the sidewalk ahead. All morning she had felt energized and finally she got the chance to get out and do something about it. A few people gave her odd looks, but most paid her no attention, making her nervousness slowly dissipate.

She rounded a corner and saw Trabia University come into view as she continued jogging, she was anxious to speak to Irvine and her movements hastened as she got closer and closer.

Why do I want to see him? To make sure he's all right? What if he starts asking questions…?

By the time she had reached the University grounds she had broken out into a full run, not even thinking about why she was running or which dorm she would find Irvine in. She just kept running, no matter how much her lungs ached and her legs felt like they would drop, she ran across the lawn, starting to perspire. Not thinking clearly, she tried to go even faster, to see what her limit was. Things went past her in blurs, she barely acknowledged anyone yet managed to avoid knocking anyone over, until he walked in front of her. She tried to dodge him, but it was too late, a swirl of a hat, a coat and auburn hair was all she saw as she and him tumbled to the ground.

He held onto her, not letting go until he had stared into her eyes and confirmed it was really her. Slowly, he regained his composure and realized they were both lying to the ground. Quickly, he got to his feet, dusting himself off, and helped her up as well.

"About time I saw you."

"I-I'm sorry." Was all she could mumble, now that Irvine was actually in front of her, she had no idea what to say to him.

"You're okay, then?"

She nodded blankly.

"Good. I felt pretty shitty after you got hurt and that bullet was fired."

"I didn't mean to worry anyone."

"Yeah, I figured you'd say something like that. I've only known you for a month and already you get yourself waist-deep in trouble." He joked, trying to make the conversation a bit less awkward.

"I don't know what they did with Seifer. I haven't seen him since." She told him. She didn't even know why she mentioned that.

"It must be hell for you." They started walking around the campus, "Where've you been?"

"My apartment was broken into. Everything was messed up and so I moved out. I've been lying low since then, the police said they'd try to protect me but they only send a cruiser around once a week or so." She lied.

"Is that it?"

"What else is there to tell? I haven't even gone to school…" She trailed off.

"Scarred?"

"A bit, but more concerned for _him_."

"I figured that. I don't expect you to ever come back to the opium. Too much has happened there."

"I don't know what I'm going to do or if I'm ever going to see him again. I want everything to go back to normal."

"Is anything ever normal? Heh, don't worry so much, Seifer's pretty slick. He's probably already broke his way out of wherever he was and out of the state by now."

"Huh?"

"He can take care of himself. He wouldn't want you to get sick to your stomach worrying about him, either."

"True, he's tough, but those guys had weapons."

"Tch, that's nothing."

"You're just trying to make me feel better. It's appreciated but not doing any good."

"Think what you want," He shrugged, "That guy, Zell, has been hanging around a lot, he keeps asking if I've seen you or if I know where you are."

Irvine scratched his head.

"Oh. I'm apologize if he's caused you any trouble."

"It's okay. Selphie's pretty worried about you too."

"I need you to do me a favor," She turned to look at him, "Don't tell them too much, alright?"

He raised an eyebrow but nodded, probably wondering what was going on.

By now they were near the front of the campus.

"I should go."

"Hey, not so fast. I have a few questions for you." He grabbed her arm and spun her around.

"Why were you running so fast? Was someone chasing you?"

"I don't know."

"Whaddya mean _you don't know_?"

"I suppose that…I wanted to feel something. But it doesn't matter. I've got things to do and you probably do too."

"You wanted to feel something?" He still hadn't let go of her arm and she looked down at his hand, holding her wrist. He blushed for a moment and let go.

"I don't quite know how to describe it. Lately, it's like I've been numb. When I run, and feel pain or exhaustion, at least I can _feel _something."

"…okay, but do me and yourself a favor, don't go around trying to get hurt."

"I promise that I won't." She forced a smile and turned around to go.

"See ya around."

She waved and began walking faster, leaving him thoughtful and wondering when he would see her again.

Quistis passed by the buildings, looking around for any hint of danger. Now that she was no longer running she could think clearly. It was getting dark, she wanted to get back to the apartment. She hadn't bothered to wear a watch and wondered if Rinoa had arrived home yet. She still had another five blocks to go and she was tired from earlier. The sky looked ominous and a few clouds had gathered.

She heard a noise behind her and turned around instantly, trying to figure out if she was being followed. The danger suddenly became very clear and very real but she forced herself to continue walking. A wind ruffled through the trees and she shivered as the temperature dropped a bit.

__

It's nothing, I'm being paranoid. Working one's self into a frenzy never helped anyone. All I have to do is make it home. It's really not that difficult.

Two blocks later the sky had gotten an even darker blue, the moon was almost up. She hugged herself to keep warm and picked up her pace. Few cars went down the street, and those that did usually went racing by. Drunk or partying teens, she guessed. Especially since the college was right near by.

The parade had already ended, she assumed and there was hardly any people walking around the streets, save the odd person walking a dog or carrying multiple shopping bags. She surveyed the area and wondered if she should perhaps stop for a while. Not having realizing how hard she pushed herself before, running five straight blocks and then almost the entire length of the yard of a campus, she brought her hand up to her forehead to wipe away a few icy beads of sweat that had formed.

It was useless stopping now though, she figured, and kept on going. There were only three more blocks left and it wasn't even _that _chilly outside.

__

I wonder what Irvine thinks. I doubt he believed my lie about 'laying low' but what else could I possibly tell him? I met up with these people who are going to be breaking into a major criminal's house in a few days and we're going to try to save Seifer. Oh and by the way, I have no clue who these people really are or if what they're telling me is true. It was pointless, sometimes lies were better then admitting the truth. What if Rinoa or Squall really was working with the same people that kidnapped Seifer and it was only a matter of time before they brought her directly into the Lion's den.

She scowled, trying to get the ridiculous thought out of her mind.

__

Wouldn't they have done it already? She had been with them for two weeks now and all they seemed concerned about was her safety, even if they were only using her to get Blake. Heh, 'bait' they called it. She wondered how much danger she was really going to be put in, and if she got caught or hurt there, would they leave her behind to rot with Seifer?

Only two more blocks to go, getting closer and closer she regretted her actions earlier. Sure, she had been bored out of her mind, but she was also most likely at the top of a major criminal's hit list.

There was one car, she noticed now, it was going very slow, the headlights were turned off and it was extremely quiet, yet she saw it, out of the corner of her eye, getting closer and closer. She closed her eyes and broke into a light run, even though she felt as though she would drop, she forced her legs to keep beating down on the sidewalk, she noticed the car was now going faster as well.

__

Shit, I've got to get out of here, They're trailing me.

She turned in, seeing the park that was near the elementary school, and began running at full speed down the dark, gravel path that was illuminated only by the odd streetlight. Her feet made a thudding noise as they pounded down on the gravel, she continued running, feel her heartbeat and breathing slowly accelerating. She heard car doors open and slam shut, then the sound of feet smacking against the pavement not too far behind her.

__

What am I doing? I've got to lose them.

One small glance behind her told her that they were men in trench coats and they were advancing on her quickly.

__

Keep running, keep breathing, stay alive. She willed herself to go on. Their footsteps were now closer then ever and she could practically _feel _them at her ankles.

She heard the jangling and then shuffling of something, and then there was an unbearably loud sound as a bullet flew past her, almost grazing her shoulder. Gasping, both for breath and out of surprise, she pushed herself harder, forcing her legs to carry her further and faster.

__

Irvine…Rinoa…Squall…

She was on the verge of falling, she felt one of them grab onto her arm and she roughly pulled away, there was a loud ripping sound.

__

Leave me the fuck alone.

She instantly came to a halt, surprising them so that they didn't stop until a few meters in front of her, then she turned sharply to the right and began running that way, across the field. Her legs made no sound against the soft dirt and grass, she saw the apartment slowly coming into view but still had roughly a block or so to go before she would be safely inside.

Her attackers were quick to regain their speed and were only a bit farther behind her now. Thanking whatever God there was aiding her, she was practically panting for air.

__

I might…actually…make it. I've got to keep-

Suddenly she felt her feet fly out from under her as one of the enemies kicked and tripped her. The ground rushed towards her but she managed to land on her hands and knees, quickly doing a flip to get back on her feet. They were too close now and she turned around to face them.

__

I'm not going to make it. I can't take on both of them.

She saw there was a road and sidewalk not too far away but knew they were out of reach now that the two foes were practically beside her. Hoping to catch them by surprise, she flung herself at the larger one and shoved her arm, as hard as she could, into his abdomen. Before he could push her away, she brought her knee up and felt it connect with his groin. He howled in pain and fell down to his knees. She immediately kicked the gun he had been holding, well out of his reach.

She had a problem, the other one was now directly behind her, she felt his breath against her neck and before he could grab her from behind, she swung her elbow back and smashed it into his ribcage. She had been aiming for his stomach but she missed, so he managed to get her in a headlock and slowly, but surely, was cutting off her oxygen supply. Not knowing what else to do, she flung herself to the ground, she felt here spine was about to break but just as Quistis thought it would snap, the man let go and fell to the ground beside her. She inhaled sharply and leapt to her feet, delivering numerous kicks to his side and gut. She didn't subside until she saw the other one struggling to get up, at which she ran over to him and kicked him directly in the temple, knocking him unconscious from the force of the blow. 

Though the man she had just stopped kicking was bleeding and in much pain, she saw him roll over and was about to start running towards the road and the sidewalk when a car pulled up, under the streetlight. Three men got out, the third was dragging someone else out of the car. The three men, in trench coats like the other two, were all carrying guns. She was trapped and she knew it. Raising her hands in the air, and backing up slightly she almost shouted when she saw that they were dragging a bloody and bruised Seifer out of the car. Her heart rose into her throat, she desperately prayed that he was alive.

__

He can't be dead. They wouldn't kill him. 

She tried to reassure herself, but it offered little comfort as they got closer and closer with their guns. For only a few brief seconds she had felt triumphant, elated, powerful…that had drained the second that the car had pulled up. She had finally won a battle, but lost the war.

She saw that Seifer was still alive as they came closer and she noticed he was walking, only being supported by the other man. He stumbled, and fell to the ground, she wanted to reach out to him, his face was covered with blood and it was practically blue from all the lacerations and bruises.

__

What have they done to you? Is it my fault? Seifer…

She couldn't help it she began walking towards him, the other two men aimed their guns at her, prepared to shoot her if she tried anything odd. When she reached the third man, he had the barrel of his gun aimed directly at her forehead, but she didn't' care, she lowered her hand slowly and placed them on Seifer's face. She felt the other two men surround her.

__

Is this it? Is this the end? Why haven't they killed me yet? Why did they bring Seifer?

"Love…" He whispered, trying to talk, but his voice came out raspy and choked, "Don't do it, whatever they tell you. Get away."

She let out something that was half a laugh and half a sob.

"I can't exactly do that, now that they've surrounded me, can I?"

His eyes pleaded for her to get away, yet she could not comply.

"Enough chit-chat. We came here for a reason." One of the men standing behind her said.

When she took her eyes off Seifer she realized that sky was black and the moon had risen high over head. The third man began backing up, taking Seifer with him.

"Wait!" She shouted to him, pleading him to stay. He did no such thing, instead he turned around and began taking a struggling and weak Seifer back to the car.

She felt a gun pressed against her back and realized that they wanted her to follow. The other man, she saw was helping the other two recover.

"Bitch." The man behind her said, stabbing the gun barrel into her back harder. Yet she did not cry out, it would only satisfy him if she cried or whimpered like a weak tart.

__

All right. How can I get out of this? I have a gun against my spine by one man, another had Seifer…but the third…he's helping the other two…

"Are you Blake?" She asked, knowing the answer would be a curt No, but trying to distract the man.

"Heh, if I was Blake I would've already had you down on the ground with your clothes off and a bullet through your blonde, little head." He growled, laughing slightly.

"Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter. Just shut up and follow the other guy, up ahead."

"Why didn't you just kill me?"

"Why don't you shut the f*ck up."

"I'm sorry." she mumbled.

"I haven't killed ya 'cause Blake wants to deal with you himself, and believe me, you probably will be wishing that I had killed you after Blake's through with you."

"Oh, really?" 

They were almost at the sidewalk now, Seifer had already been shoved back in the car and it looked like she was about to be too, her mind raced, trying to think of a desperate action to stop or slow him down.

"Shit." She cried out suddenly, she could tell his finger probably tensed on the trigger, "I dropped it."

"What?"

She saw a woman dressed in black with a pair of sunglasses and a gun, running from up ahead. Immediately, she took her chance and spun around, before the man had a chance to shoot her, grabbed his gun, shoved him ahead of herself, and ducked as she heard a shot fire out from up above and then dropped the man as a bullet was embedded into his skull. Meanwhile, another man, dressed in black with sunglasses as well, ran up behind the second man that was helping the other two fallen ones. He fired his gun once, killing him almost instantly with a bullet directly aimed to go through the heart.

The woman up head fired several shots at the car that Quistis was about to get into, however she only aimed for the front seat, and not the back.

The driver immediately sped away, leaving smoke and making a skidding sound as he raced down the street. The woman stopped firing her gun and frowned in Quistis' direction.

"I owe you, Rinoa." Quistis mumbled, hoping it would satisfy her but knowing that she would probably lock her inside the apartment from now on.

Squall came up behind her, grabbing her wrist and leading her up ahead. He seemed angry, she wondered what he would do. She had never seen him that mad before, it interested her and, surprisingly, she was not scared as he pulled her towards the apartment, where Rinoa was waiting. She looked rather angry herself, her mouth was set in a straight line and her eyes seemed to glare at her.

Squall didn't let go of her as they walked through the lobby and entered the elevator, although she tried pulling away from him, she was too weak from the chase and his grip was too tight around her arm. Everyone was silent, she wondered what would happen and felt like a child that had done something one of her foster parents had specifically told her not to do. But she was too weary to think about it now as she was dragged down the hall and shoved, lightly, into the apartment.

"You know, despite what you may think, I'm not a child and I'm certainly not going to put up with this. You can't lock me up inside your apartment, drag me back here, and act as though I'm your damn property." She yelled, "What I did tonight was my own choice, I don't care if it was wrong because I can't even see the line between the two values." She would have stormed into the living room, had Squall not placed his arms firmly on her shoulders.

"You have a choice." Rinoa stood in front of her, yelling as well, "Either stay here, listen to us, get Seifer back alive and make it out of this thing alive as well, or you can leave, try to save Seifer, and get both of yourselves killed."

She spun around to face Squall.

"Let go of me." Surprisingly, his arms dropped to his sides and she was free to go.

"You're leaving?" Rinoa asked.

She was quiet for a moment, not answering, still calming down.

"What do you think?"

"Listen, I know you Quistis, you've been down that road too many times and you know where it's going to lead. Despite what you think, sometimes you need other peoples' help."

She did not yell, her voice came out soft and serious, but not angry.

"Stay with us, and we'll help you." She finished, staring at Quistis.

"Why? So Seifer can continue to die in there?"

"No. Tonight I got a map of the penthouse, after a few weeks of work I was finally able to sneak in, with Squall, and we drew a quick, overview sketch of the place by crawling through the vents."

"And yet you didn't tell _me _anything about that. If I'm going to stay here I want there to be no further discretion, treat me as an equal and take me with you." Quistis said.

__

Rinoa looked at Squall for a moment, the room was silent, and then she nodded.


	9. Red Red Rose : The Normal

****

Red + Red + Rose : Chpt. Eight : The Normal

At seven thirty the next morning Quistis was shoved off of the futon, she blinked open her eyes to stare at Rinoa.

"Are you going to classes today?"

"Oh, Master, you've finally decided to let me out of the apartment?" Quistis asked sarcastically.

"Hurry up and get ready. I figured you'd be safer at school with Squall then stuck in here. You'd probably just leave again."

"Perhaps, perhaps not." Quistis stood up, walked over to Rinoa's bedroom, and helped herself to a few articles of clothing inside her closet. When she emerged, five minutes later, she was dressed, her hair was combed back, and she even had make up on.

Rinoa nodded at her.

"Squall's waiting outside on the bike."

She helped herself to an apple on the table and left, shutting the door behind her.

__

Zell…Selphie…how long has it been? Only two weeks? It feels longer.

She was still sore from her activities last night but at the moment she had no time to worry about that as she rode the elevator down to the lobby and walked out through the doors. Squall was standing outside beside the bike, keys in hand. She strolled over to him, wearing one of Rinoa's white tank tops underneath one of Rinoa's jackets, since hers got torn last night. She wore tight, flared jeans and a pair of sunglasses. 

Confidently sauntering towards Squall, she grabbed the keys right out of his hand and mounted the bike, putting the keys in the ignition and revving up the bike. He got on behind her, expecting that to happen, and watched as she maneuvered the bike through the streets, swerving around cars and pedestrians. It felt good to have the spring breeze ruffling through her hair and feeling the power of an engine underneath her. Whizzing by buildings and taking a few shortcuts, she smiled slightly as she barely made it through a yellow light and sped up even more, thank god for Irvine's quick driving lessons. She hadn't had enough cash to apply for her G2 or license so she was thankful that she had been able to watch him. Making a sharp turn to the right, attempting to go through and alley. Squall placed his hands on her sides, she stiffened a bit, in pain. She had a large bruise there after tumbling to the ground and landing on her side, against a jagged rock when she flung herself away from the man who had kept her in a headlock.

Seeing that it hurt her, he mumbled and apology and took his hands off, almost loosing his balance because of her reckless driving. She took one of hands off the front of the bike for a moment and placed his hands back on, not caring about the bruise anymore.

When they arrived at the school, she parked the bike, crookedly, near the back and got off. Squall didn't take his hands off her though and she turned to look at him, giving him an inquisitive look.

"Don't get into any trouble today." He said, then removed his hands and trotted up ahead of her.

"Okay, dad." She muttered sarcastically, following him into the school. As usual, almost all the guys she saw, waved at her and flashed her smirks or grins. Squall raised an eyebrow at this but continued walking ahead of her.

"See what I have to go through everyday at school…" She whispered to him and then, taking on a more serious tone, "Will you keep them away from me today?"

He stared at her for a moment, wondering what he could do, aside from beating them up, to get them to leave her alone. He understood how she might feel, still not quite over seeing Seifer in such a state last night, sighed, and wrapped his arm around her protectively, making a point to glare at anyone who tried smiling or winking at her. He felt uncomfortable, she guessed, but at least they backed off and got the message.

Upon arriving at her locker, he released her and watched silently as she input her combination and then grabbed her bookbag from inside. He felt uneasy, with a few people staring at him, wondering what happened to Seifer, but ignored that and watched her get her things together. As they walked to her English class, he casually put his arm around her waist, like he would've done with Rinoa, had she been there.

"I'm sorry. You probably don't like this." She said.

"………"

"I mean, you have Rinoa and you don't want to put your hands on me."

"It's fine." He said as they continued walking.

She wondered what he was thinking at that moment. He seemed to be deep in thought as they rounded the corner. Not wanting to bother him, she remained silent as well, keeping in pace with him.

"Woah."

They both turned to look at Zell.

"Seifer's not even gone for a month and already you two are a package. Heh, must've got over him fast, eh?" 

Quistis looked at him, partly in amazement and partially a glare. Squall also glared at him. He seemed to back off a bit, scratching his head and he shrugged.

"Hey sorry, I didn't mean to upset you, Quistis." 

"Forget it." She said, "You have no clue what happened and I don't believe that I want you to know."

She pushed past him and Squall followed her, leaving Zell confused and wondering what was wrong.

"Sorry." He mumbled, heading in the opposite direction.

"Asshole." She said, once he was out of hearing-range.

Squall was silent, not bothering to say anything.

When they walked into the classroom, Selphie jumped up and ran over to Quistis to embrace her in a hug, nearly knocking her over in the process.

"I missed you sooo much!" She practically shouted. She turned her attention to Squall and stuck her tongue out at him, "Don't be trying anything funny with Quisty, she's still in love with Seifer, right Quisty?"

Squall got the hint and backed off, leaving the two to converse before the bell rang and they both sat down.

The two whispered and slipped each other notes during the entire class and lecture, yet Quistis was still able to answer all the professor's questions and complete the pop-quiz perfectly.

"What's been up with you lately? Where've ya been?"

"I've been staying with some friends and skipping class." It was partially true, at least.

"Oooh, I should have known. I wish I could do that."

"It's really not that exciting…"

"So what's up with Squall? He had his arm around you earlier. Are you through with Seifer or something? He only dropped by the school once, and when he did he was with a bunch of guys in dark coats."

Quistis narrowed her eyebrows.

"What did they do?"

"I don't know, he seemed to be pretty nervous though and he was at your locker. When I passed by I heard one of the guys in coats ordering him to open him but he kept on refusing."

"Shit. How long was he here?"

"Only a few minutes, when I passed by I said hi but he seemed to be too scared of something to even look my direction and say hi back."

"Did they hurt him?"

"I didn't see anything…but I'm not sure. He looked pretty worried and Seifer NEVER looks worried or scared. I bet they were gonna beat him up for-"

"Miss. Tilmitt, would you care to fill us in on the enthralling conversation you are engaged in with Miss. Trepe, or can you explain the basic plot of MacBeth?"

__

Shit, she's never going to get this. I can't stay after school either…That asshole better not give us-

"What about you Miss. Trepe? Can you explain what MacBeth was about? Hmm?"

"It was about a man who had bad luck and everything in his life seemed to take a wrong turn. The imagery and theme was extremely dark and morbid."

The teacher scoffed but didn't question her any further.

"Whew, that was close. Thank." Selphie whispered. They weren't as loud after that.

When the bell finally rang, and it seemd as though it never would, everyone filed out, she lost sight of Squall but she didn't particularly care as she got caught up in a conversation with Selphie before bidding her goodbye.

"See you on the bus!" Selphie shouted and skipped away before Quistis had a chance to tell her that she would not be taking it that night.

__

Sorry. I'll be busy trying to think of ways to stay alive when sneaking into a penthouse to rescue Seifer, who looked like was on the verge of death yesterday when I was involved in a physical fight and a shooting.

Obviously, she could not tell Selphie that and just forgot about it, hoping her friend wouldn't be too upset.

History seemed to pass by quickly, she answered a few questions and jotted down some notes, it didn't matter if she wouldn't need them again, but it was simply the feeling of being back at school, thing going slightly back to normal, that made her content.

She thought about what Selphie had told her earlier, she wondered why they were hurting him so much, why they didn't just kill her and get it over with?

__

Would I give up my life for Seifer? How do you measure a life? Would one life taken to save one thousand be just? What about the worth of one's life? Does that matter…if you sacrifice three lives to save one out of love?

Love? I don't love Seifer. I want him, I need him, but I don't love him. Then why did tears come when I saw him like that…so helpless…He wouldn't even give them my locker combination. Those tapes…were they what he was arguing about? 

All the thoughts made her head swim, she wanted to get out of the stuffy classroom and into the Cafeteria. The bell rang, signalling it was lunch, she breathed a sigh of relief and began heading for the Caf. Zell met her in the hall and started apologizing once again, she could tell that he honestly felt bad dor what he had said before and realized that he didn't know anything about what she had been through in the past two weeks. She didn't expect him to understand, he would have too many questions and, knowing him, he'd probably blab the whole story to everyone around the school and she'd be dead by dusk. So, she held back, half-listening to him say he was sorry, for the millionth time that day, and walked with him to his locker where he put in the combo and opened it. She only got only a glimpse inside his locker because he _conveniently _blocked her view, not wanting her to see the pictures of her inside. She dismissed them with an inward smile and turned away, pretending to be gazing into the library so he wasn't so nervous about hiding them from her. 

"I heard Seifer was in for a while last week…" She trailed off. Quistis knew her words were probably stinging him, speaking of Seifer like that, but she had to get the full story and find out the full story.

"Yeah." He scratched his head, trying to remember that day's events, "He was in for a while with two big guys. They were at your locker and they were fighting over something. I think it was your combo but I'm not sure. They walked out fast after Seifer kept turning them down so they grabbed onto him and started pulling him outside. He seemed to stiffen up, as one of them leaned toward him and instead of trying to get away from them, he followed them peacefully. I was kinda curious so I followed them outside. When they were out there…"

"Go on." She urged him, wanting to here the rest.

"When they got outside…they started punching him. I…There was two of them there…I was gonna go help him but…a car pulled up and one of htem turned around so I hid behind the door."

He looked embaressed, scared almost, and childlike.

"It's alright." She reassured him, "Those guys were probably double your size and there was even a few people in the car to back them up."

"No…you don't understand. I did follow them outside, I called out to Seifer because I was worried about you after seeing you in tears at the apartment. One of the guys turned around and aimed a gun at my head, nobody else was outside…"

"Zell…" She stared at him, now concerned.

"He said the _stay the fuck out of it, _pointing the gun at my head,and then they shoved Seifer in the car and drove away before I had a chance to get in my truck to go after them.

She lowered her gaze to the floor, realizing that Zell was uncomfortable with her looking at him like that, and sighed.

"You're an idiot. You shouldn't have put yourself in danger like that."

He perked up, obviously he had assumed she would be depressed or angry.

"I want you to promise me something." She looked into his eyes once again and tilted his chin wit her hand so that he was looking directly into her royal blue eyes, "Don't ever do that again. I know you only wanted to help but I don't want anyone getting hurt. Their Seifer's affairs, so I don't want you getting involved." Her voice had taken on a deadly serious tone, he was a bit frightened.

"O-Okay Quistis, If you want…" He stammered.

She placed her hand on his cheek and playfully slapped him. Recovering from her worry.

"And I'll do it harder next time if you try to play hero again." 

She grinned, ear-to-ear, and nodded happily. She was glad that he was so content but made a mental note to talk to him later, when she had the time to phone him. They walked to the Cafeteria together, where Squall was waiting. He had bought her fries and a drink. Zell waved goodbye and went off to join some friends. She trailed after him with her eyes and smiled as he stumbled and fell when he was about to sit down. It made her happy to see him in such a good mood. Squall stood behind her and scowled, remind her that he was still there. She turned around and followed him outside, sitting down on a small brick wall. She carefully balanced the tray on her thighs and opened the drink.

"Were you safe?" He asked, chewing on a few fries.

"Perfectly fine. It's nice to be back."

"Don't get too used to it. We have a mission to do-"

"Don't let school interfere with it." She finished for him, frowning slightly, "Have you always been this serious?"

"………" He shoved a few more fries into his mouth and ignored the question.

"I wish you wouldn't do that. It feels like I'm sitting next to a bloody statue and talking to a damn wall."

"Then why don't you?"

"Forget it."

"Whatever."

"I heard some things about Seifer. Apparently he paid a visit to the school with two other men in trench coats, they worked for Blake."

"I saw him."

"You were here?" She turned to him angrilly.

"I've been attending my normal classes for the past week. We suspected that they would show up here. Which is another reason we didn't want you being at school."

"You know, you act like you're my Godamn superior, are you really eighteen?"

"Age isn't important. You're lucky."

"I'm lucky that he took a beating because he didn't tell them my locker combo? Is that what you're getting at?"

"You're lucky he didn't get into your locker and Seifer was concerned about your safety."

"Which is why we should be focusing more on saving him." She ate a few fries and sipped her drink.

"You and him were close.'

"I suppose. But I guess you know, he used to set up those tapes in my room and he's the one that got me into this entire mess."

"………"

"I don't even think that we were that close. It was more of the need to be bonded with each other, the way people bond during sex. It wasn't love…it didn't seem like love."

He turned away from her, not wanting the hear a few things that she had said.

"I'm sorry. I hardly mean to be bombarding you with the details of my social life."

Squall was silent, again, she wondered what was going on in his mind. Was he just being his normal, cold self or was the thinking of something to say. She found herself hoping it was the latter.

"You enjoyed dancing for him." He finally said.

"For him? I never really thought that I was doing it for him. Although he immensely enjoyed dancing with me and watching me. But after all that's happened…I don't think that I want to get back up on a stage. Bad things seem to happen whenever I dance."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Before…I was in a bad situation with a guy that had paid Seifer. Seifer assumed that the guy had wanted to dance with me and maybe get into some harder grinding, but…" She trailed off, "He wanted a bit more, I suppose."

"Just like Rinoa." Squall mused.

"Huh? That's right, she worked for him at one point, didn't she? What did the jerk do to her?"

"All she wanted to do was dance. Perhaps maybe going as far as taking off a few garments during her dances…" He paused for a moment, "One guy that Seifer set her up with was expecting a bit more. She tried running away from him, he chased her outside, half naked, in the rain. They were running up those _pull-down _ladders outside of the apartment. He was chasing her around, threatening her and trying to grab her. He had a gun but he couldn't get a clear shot until they were on the roof top. There was a thunderstorm that night, he was standing direclty beside the metal rod he used for getting illegal cable. The man was about to shoot at her, but I was there, on my bike, I saw what was going on and I grabbed her before he could shoot. A few seconds later he got electrocuted and died."

"I never knew." Quistis mumbled, looking away from him, "Seifer is much too dangerous for his own good. I knew…at the back of my mind…it was either going to be him or me that was going to get hurt."

"?"

"I guess I was wrong because now we're both in a bind." She finished up the last of her fries with a sigh.

Squall hopped down, already finished, and motioned for her to jump down too. He held out his hands to catch her and she jumped into them.

"I really am thankful for what you did earlier." His arms were still around her, she didn't know why he let them linger on her abdomen.

"Meet me at the bike after your last class. I have to go to work soon after school so don't take long."

She nodded and followed him inside the school where they split up when the bell rang and she headed to her last class of the day, meeting up with Zell once more and waving to him, not even noticing who was in her science class, she backed into the room. When she turned around she saw her teacher, Mr. Kramer, staring at her, giving her a peculiar look. She said hello to him before taking a seat near the front.

"Welcome back, Miss. Trepe." He said, "If you'll excuse me for a moment, I have to grab some papers." He followed her with his eyes as he left the classroom and he shut the door behind him after seing that all the students were inside.

__

Bloody pedaphile. She thought, scowling and sighing inwardly. Of course she respected him because he was quite intelligent, but sometimes he acted odd. She was greeted by a few people she knew, they all had questions about where she had been.

"Skipper." Nida accused, giving her a smile.

"Yes, well, I'm sure you were very concerned about my well being and not what I had been up to." 

"Exactly," He joked, the 6'0, muscular star of the basketball team leaned closer, from the seat beside her and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

"Of course I missed you."

She pretended to not to see his hand trying to grasp hers and slammed her fifty-pound book bag down on it, making him yowl in pain and making him want to keep his hands to himself.

"Tsk, sorry Nida. I didn't mean to hurt you."

He glared at her and turned around to face another female student behind him who giggled and smiled at him the second he turned around.

__

It serves him right. Idiot.

Everyone was beginning to get chatty, noticing that the teacher still hadn't return. Quistis put her book bag back down on the floor and stared up on the chalkboard.

__

Well, I'll bet this class has simply been enthralling lately. How many times can they drill the history of this state into our mind before it becomes dull and rather annoying. The only reason she had taken this class was because she needed a history credit in order to graduate. She knew that Mr. Kramer despised her. Actually, despised wasn't the world, he practically hated her, although she hadn't a clue why. She never did anything to him but apparently if you try to prove him wrong when he teaching about false events, he starts acting like a bitch.

__

Excuse me for not falling for that shit, I'm not like the other mindless drones in this classroom.

She heard voices coming from outside the door and she sat up, figuring that he was about to come back in. But when he did, he surprised them because he was being followed by three people dressed entirely in black and they were wearing trench coats. 

__

Fucker. I hate you. Why? She stared into the beaming eyes of the her teacher, mentally wondering how he could be so damn cruel.

"Miss. Trepe, these men would like to see you."

"Mr. Kramer, I really need to catch up-"

"It's more important then catching up. Please leave."

"I-"

"You are excused."

She turned to him, with daggers in her eyes, and got up. Walking silently to where the two men stood.

__

I didn't know that he hated me so much. I always assumed that he disliked me with a passion, but this? 

One of the men put their arm on her shoulder, his grip was as strong as steel, cold as ice and it made her want to pull away from them. However, she noted the holster by his waist and made no such attempt. She walked, numbly, as they guided her forward, out of the class rooms and through the corriders.

__

This is it. I'm not going to put up with it any longer. They hurt Seifer. They hurt me. They're going to pay.

She didn't know what she was doing, rage blinded her as she stopped suddenly in the hall, and in a split second she grabbed the pistol from the man. Time slowed down as she pointed the gun at him, he took a few steps back before pulling out a matching gun from another holster. 

__

Shit. There's two of them and one of me, they have more guns. I have to outrun them.

Surprising them by her speed and agility, she dodged out of the way as a bullet shot through the air, the first man had fired at her. She didn't care about anyone else in the school, or how, as she ran by the classrooms, everyone was crouched on the floor. All she knew was that she had to get away from them or else she would die. 

__

Squall. I can do this myself.

Quistis felt stronger then before, another bullet almost grazed the side of her leg and she pushed open the door to the flight of stairs and climbed up them, two at a time. When she reached the landing she spun around, fueled by adrenaline and fury, she shot at them twice, the first time she missed by a long shot, the second time she knicked one of them in his shoulder. They fired back at her but she had already started running up the other flight and was almost at the top.

__

This is it. I'm trapped up here. I have to take them out before they can catch me or else I'm fucked.

She bolted, at full speed, down the hallway, running left then right in a vain but successful attempt to dodge the bullets. The flew passed her and her ear drums rang after every shot fired. Her feet pounded on the marble floor and she shoved herself into a row of lockers to narrowly avoid a shot to the head. Spinning around, she saw she had a clear shot at one of them because he was reloading, she fired, aiming for his head, but the bullet went into his neck instead, making him fall and start choking on his own blood. The other man stopped for only a moment, allowing her to regain some distance, before firing out two shots at her. One of them sailed past her temple while the other came closer and closer, until she felt a burning, stinging sensation in her shoulder. She winced but didn't stop running. Her lungs begged for more air and her heart was drumming almost louder then the shots that were being fired at her. But she was hit, she felt the blood rushing to her shoulder and placed her hand on the area to apply pressure and lessen the bleeding.

Turning to the right, she noticed, through the corner of her eye, that her attacker had slammed into the wall. She fired a shot but missed him by a few feet. Silently cursing herself as he regained his composure before she could fire a second shot, Quistis began running again, hoping that she would be able to round the next corner and then sneak up on him. She was running out of space, and fast. She knew that two more hall ways down it was a dead end and she wouldn't be able to back up. Her muscles tensed and her shoulder felt like it was on fire but she kept on running, not slowing down for even a moment for it would give him a clearer shot.

Quists rounded the next hallway and was about to put her plan into action but suddenly the man stumbled and bumped into her, knocking her off balance and throwing her to the floor. He was on top of her and she knew that he had the advantage so instead of trying to get up first, she swung her elbow back and knocked the gun out of his hand, it slid down the hall, out of his reach. He immediately slammed her head against the marble floor and the world began spinning. She tried to violently shake him off and his grip loosened on her, allowing Quistis to punch him in the face before jumping to her feet and running down the hall…to see a dead end. It was too late turn around, the pain in her head had caught up with her and she brought her hand up to feel a trickle of blood running down the side of her temple.

She looked back at the man who had just stood up, he was reaching for his gun, she had a perfect shot of his head in that second and so she pulled down the trigger, expecting the power from the shot to shake her…however it only clicked. There was not enough time to try again because now he had the gun pointed at her and she had her back pressed up against the large, floor to ceiling window that formed the dead end. 

She was trapped, the glass was too thick for her to shatter with her elbow and so all she could do was stand there, waiting for the bullet to tear through her flesh and kill her. Her blood would splatter on the window and a small pool would form underneath her cold, dead body. Panic set in and her breath caught in her throat.

The man smiled coldly at her, she saw Squall at the very end of the hallway, running towards him but she knew it was too late. This was it. The end. There was no more running, no more being saved. Her life was about to be extinguished. He took the shot and she heard the glass shatter from behind her before falling backwards. He took another shot, but the trigger only clicked. Throwing down the gun in disgust, Quistis saw as she was flying backwards through the air, he reached for his other one. But Squall was fast enough to get him in a headlock, surprising him by behind and twisted his neck around, breaking it.

She felt her body slam against the slanted brick roof of the school and wondered how long it would be before she fell off the edge and her body connected with the pavement.

__

Squall.

He came running over to the window but could only watch as her body slid down the roof, she reached out for him but by now she was too far to reach his hand. Thoughts forming rapidly in her mind, she tried to stop herself from sliding, but she was going to fast and the edge was only a few feet away. She clawed at the bricks desperately, only ending up with bloody fingertips.

__

One last thing. One last hope.

She summoned up all her strength and every ounce of courage she could find as she continued to slip, she focused on the ground, how far of a drop it was, what she would need to do to land without smashing her head against the cement and cracking open her skull or twisitng her neck.

__

As she sailed off the edge of the roof, she performed several accurately timed flips in the air, a summersault, and a twist before spreading her legs and landing, a bit rougly but still alive and on foot as she reached the pavement.


	10. Red Red Rose : Pursuit

****

Red Red Rose : Chpt. Nine : Persued

Just as she began recovering from the fall and trying to make sense of the entire situation, a long, black car pulled up and the door opened, revealing two armed men with visors and trench coats who were pointing their weapons at her. Her shoulder was throbbing and she felt rather weak from the fall, but managed to duck as one of the men fired, the bullet whizzed by her ear and for a moment her heart stopped and she thought she had been hit. 

__

Run.

She turned around before either one of them could fire again and began running, as fast as she could, towards the back parking lot where she prayed that Squall would be waiting, on the bike. Her feet pounded against the sidewalk as she narrowly avoided another shot to the leg. Her breath came out in gasps as she struggled to dodge the bullets while narrowly avoid getting hit by the cars that were now speeding out of the parking lot. She heard a scream and the shattering of glass as one of the pieces of ammunition shattered the windshield of a car nearby, hoping that nobody was hurt, but sensing that if she turned around they would shoot at her again, she continued racing to the bike.

__

Please let Squall be there. Please Let Squall be there.

Her legs hurt from running, her heart was pounding from the panic of being shot at and she had already been shot in the shoulder.

__

I'm not going to make it.

Another bullet flew by her head; she threw herself to the ground as they fired again, narrowly avoiding one to her back. Rolling over blindly, not paying attention to the cars anymore, she began running on the road, desperate to get away.

The sound of her feet meeting the pavement with every step was all she could hear, all she could think about was getting away. They were getting close now, she could tell because she felt one of them try to grab her, but she pulled away before he could get a good grip.

"Get the hell away from me!" She shouted, her legs would not carry her any further, she could tell, but she sped up because the next time they reached out at her, they would probably succeed in pulling her back.

__

Get away. Get away. 

She was now in the parking lot, running around cars and ducking behind them as the two attackers continued to fire shots, often embedding the ammunition into the vehicles around her. Silently, she cursed Squall for parking so far away. Before she could even acknowledge it, a car had come speeding towards her, she tried to dodge, to duck, and to do something but it was too fast. She found herself leaping into the air and then rolling off of the hood, onto the ground. All she could feel was the intense, white, hot pain in her shoulder as it connected with the car, causing her to cry out before landing face down. The men were behind her and came to a halt as they inspected her seemingly motionless body on the cement. The world was quickly becoming hazy in front of her eyes but the will was too strong to live. One of the guys grabbed her arm, the one that had been shot, and yanked her off the ground. She clenched her fists, almost crying out again, but quickly swung them at him, hitting him squarely in the jaw. Her hand felt like the bone had shattered as she felt it connect. At first, Quistis assumed she had broken several bones in her wrist area when she heard the loud crack. However, it turned out to be the man's jaw as he spun around from the impact of the blow, landing on the ground. The other growled and tried to tackle her, she was too fast for him, despite her wounds, and he rammed himself into a car, cursing as his head went through a window. 

Her head began to pound, winced at the pain, and raised her hand to her temple, which was still bleeding from slamming it against the floor in the school. Now the back of her head was aching from the impact of the hood of the car and the world began to swim.

__

The bike… Squall…

She staggered forward, leaning against the car strongly for support. Her head began to feel light and then everything started spinning and blending together as she fell to her knees, still frantic to get to the motorcycle.

__

Too fast…too much. Am I dying? Is this what it feels like? 

Her vision became even more obscured as she felt another serge of pain run up her arm. 

__

I've got to make it. I've got to find the bike. It's the only thing left. 

Just as she thought that she would pass out, two strong arms lifted her off the ground and mounted her on a seat. She opened her eyes, amazed, as she felt the wind going through her hair and the sound of a loud motor humming.

"Thought you were dead." Squall muttered, speeding up as he noticed the car pulling away, quickly gaining speed and beginning to follow them.

"Don't worry, I've already been shot and lost enough blood, I won't disappoint you." She mumbled sarcastically.

She saw him cringe and immediately regretted saying that.

"I'm…tired." She murmured, feeling her body slowly giving out beneath her.

__

It won't be long now, will it?

"I've got to lose these guys. You know the shortcuts and alleys around here better then I do. I need…"

"Help?" 

He nodded.

"I'm sorry then."

"?"

They rounded a corner sharply and her head felt like it would soar right off of her shoulders, she collapsed against him, ready to let the darkness come.

"Too late."

"Don't fall asleep." He ordered.

"I can't keep my eyes open."

"Listen to me, we've got to get out of this. You're going to live and we're…" He stopped for a moment, unsure of whether or not he should go on, "We're going to get Seifer back."

The words sounded strange coming from his mouth, he was never one to give encouragement or try to help someone out on his own accord. She blinked and tried to clear her vision, wondering if she had been hallucinating.

"I don't know how much of a help I can be…" She told him, being honest, "…I'll try."

The car was gaining on them quickly and she felt Squall jerk the cycle to the right suddenly, just as a bullet whizzed by.

"There's an alley to your right, those trashcans are blocking it but we can get through them."

"Positive?"

"Just do it."

He maneuvered the bike to the right-most lane and turned in, preparing for the impact as he knocked over the garbage and the bike shook violently. The car pulled in too, it was wide enough for the both of them to fit and Squall kept a close eye on the enemy through the mirrors. They fired once more, almost knicking Quistis in the back; he gritted his teeth and made a hard left turn as a street came up. The noise was almost deafening, the screeching of tires, the sound of the engine and the car scraping against metal as the enemies did the same thing upon coming out of the alley. She saw that they were near the Opium now and barely had time to think before Squall was barking out questions to her.

"Turn right here, then make a left." She instructed, hoping that they could lose the foes.

The car made a shrieking noise as it went through a red light, still close behind them and getting closer. There was a man, his head and upper body was out the front window and he was firing shots at them. Before they had a chance to move away, it came up right beside them and the bike almost tipped as it brushed against the side. Everything was going by much too fast, trees, buildings and people all blended as they continued to speed down the street. Quistis was dimly aware of the shots that were being fired at them now, one just about grazed the bike but Squall dodged to the right and leaned sideways to avoid the bullet.

She felt him swerve to the side and turn onto the next road, nearly colliding with a large truck. Meanwhile, their enemy had slowed down a bit and was now behind them, forced to stop when the truck went by. The roar of the engine filled her ears as they went straight down the road, occasionally rocking back and forth to avoid the oncoming cars because it was a one-way street. The car behind them had to turn on the sidewalk and slow down everything another car came down the road, however it wasn't a very busy street and soon they had caught up once again.

"Grab my gun, it's in my holster on my waist." Squall demanded.

"I can't fire at them."

"Do it."

Not wanting to argue with him, she reached for his gun slowly moved her hands around his waist to feel for the holster, which she could not see. When she found it, Quistis grabbed the gun and held onto it but did not shoot back at the car which was rapidly coming up to the side.

"Shoot."

"I'll fall."

"I won't let you."

"Fine." Her voice came out weak but she had meant for it to be in an angry tone.

Carefully aiming the gun, she saw one of them through the window and took the shot, nearly tumbling off of the bike as she predicted, however Squall grabbed onto her before she did so. The road seemed to be one big blur as they continued dashing down the street. The white line in the center had become one with the gray pavement and she shook her head to try to clear her eyes of the mist that blurred everything. The shot had missed; it ricocheted off the top of the car before ripping through the air.

"Fire again." This time, he grabbed onto her before she pulled the trigger. The bullet crashed into the back window of the car, shattering the glass, but unfortunately, nobody was seated back there. The enemy instantly responded by firing a few shots of their own, one grazed through Squall's spiky tresses however it did not make contact with his skull.

"Careful." He shouted, grabbing onto her hair and tugging her head to the side as the ammunition sailed by.

She winced but did not shout out in pain.

"Go faster." Quistis ordered, not caring about her reduced visibility or the fact that she was slumped against him now due to the fact that she was on the verge of blacking out.

"This thing can't go any faster." He shouted and turned left at the intersection, narrowly avoiding ramming into an oncoming car because it was a red light.

"They're too close. Go through there." She pointed to a small alley that the car would not be able to fit in, praying that they would reach the other side faster then their enemies could. The motorcycle raced past dumpsters, people, and rats in the alley. She was almost thrown off as he turned abruptly to avoid hitting a child. Hanging off the bike, one leg on and the other dangling, her head almost grazed against the road. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to regain her balance, quickly shoving her head out of the way of an oncoming cyclist. Her leg began sliding, she bit her lip, still in a frenzy to try to re-mount while remaining conscious at the same time. Squall, having noticed she was almost off the bike, quickly grabbed her shirt and pulled her back into an upright position, just as a they brushed up against a Dumpster that would have knocked her off.

Without warning, as they got closer to the road and she thought that they had lost the car, it came speeding down the street ahead and came to an immediate halt in front of the alley.

"Shit, we're trapped."

"Jump." Squall ordered.

"Are you insane?"

"Jump off, I'll drive the cycle into them and get off too, right before it hits."

"How do you expect me to jump when we're travelling practically 100 miles per hour and…" She stopped, become dizzy once again, "And…" She trailed off, not being able to continue.

"Watch out."

She felt herself slide of the bike, Squall had pushed her off, then she was in the air for a brief moment, watching him as he steered the bike directly at the car, not hopping off until he was within five feet of the car. Then it came as a rush, her body was flung against the brick wall, her head had been down so it hadn't been hit, however the wind had been knocked out of her and every nerve in her body felt as though it would tear apart.

The thunderous noise of the explosion, the intense color, the flames…the smoke…she saw it out of the corner of her eye as the cycle made contact with the car and Squall quickly shot at the gas tank before it hit.

__

I have to find you.

Why?

__

If you were here this wouldn't be happening, would it, idiot?

If…Do you miss me, Love?

__

No, I'm glad you're gone.

Why?

__

Don't be an ass and play dumb. You were using me and you fucking know it, so do I now, don't try to lie.

………

__

That's what I thought

Hurting you was the last thing I wanted to do.

__

It certainly doesn't seem like it right now.

I was in that car, you know.

__

Are you dead? Are we both dead?

No, I'm here beside you. I got dragged out of the car before it hit, by one of Blake's men.

__

Then how are you talking to me?

I managed to escape them for a few moments but they're coming after me now, so I hid you in the Dumpster. There's no time for me to get away now, they've seen me.

__

What?

Open your eyes.

She saw a wisp of blonde hair from outside the walls of the Dumpster and realized that the enemy had thought they had run off before crashing into them.

"This way, they ran down there."

Suddenly the hair was gone and she heard a loud thud.

"Don't try that shit again or we'll throw you into the flames."

There was a loud smacking sound and another thud.

"You'll never find them." A familiar voice mocked the men.

She heard a few noises, a grunt, and then the sound of something being dragged on the ground. 

__

Seifer got away from the car and shoved me here before they could find me…he could have run away and left me. But he's… Where's Squall?

She looked over to her right and saw him lying beside her, she wondered why Seifer had saved him but quickly pushed the thought out of her mind as he began to stir. They weren't too far from home now and she knew it wouldn't be long until her body finally gave out, noticing the crimson stain on her shoulder had grew even larger. Quistis moved closer to him, making sure he hadn't been hurt. He blinked open his eyes and stared at her for a moment.

"You're shoulder." Then he looked at her head and frowned, "I've got to get out of here."

"Ssh. They'll hear you."

"Blake's guys? How did we get here?"

"Seifer threw us in here in a desperate attempt to hide us from them."

"…Will you be able to make it back?"

She closed her eyes from a moment, not wanting to answer.

"You should leave me and go. You can make it out of here before he sends another car down."

"It wouldn't do any good. We still need you."

"Squall…" She said, she smiled at the bitterness of the situation, "I've been shot in the shoulder, my head's been slammed into a marble floor, I was practically hit by a car and I just got flung into a wall. You think I'm really going to make it back to the apartment? Hmm?"

"You'll make it." He said, quickly pulling himself up and pulling her up too.

"No, you will though. Rinoa's got the plans for Blake's penthouse. You don't need me anymore, you can just sneak in there and get him." She paused for a moment, "Hey, why are you getting all worried about me, anyway?"

"I'm not."

She was quiet for a few moments.

"Let's go. Try walking by yourself."

He grabbed out by the waist and pulled her down from the Dumpster after getting out himself and setting her down. She took one step, stumbled and he wrapped her arm around his shoulders before she could fall.

"I wonder…how soon will it be before all my blood is gone?" Her voice sounded tired but angry as well.

"You won't die out here. Not yet."

"Do you think it hurts to die, Squall?" Her voice became cold.

"………"

"I wonder who'll find my body. Or perhaps the rats will get to it first." She mused, disgustedly.

Before she could say anymore he grabbed her, taking her off her feet and into his arms, and started running, speeding by people and inanimate objects, only concentrating on getting her back to the apartment. As the minutes passed and all she heard was the thudding of his footsteps against the sidewalk, she thought of the past few days and how she had changed from being calm, cool and collected to being weak, cynical and a burden to the people around her. He kept close to the walls of buildings, making sure that none of Blake's men could see him. They seemed to be patrolling the area around the trash. Thought she didn't see Seifer, she couldn't help pondering what had happened to him, perhaps they might have tried to save him, had she not been wounded. She wondered why Squall didn't stop, he was obviously tired, and they had been running for some time.

"I'm heavy."

"…………"

"I'm dragging you down."

"Heavy enough to crush Seifer when you were on top of him?"

She glared at him.

"I suppose you watched those tapes too. Not that it matters now."

"Did you drag Seifer down into the Dumpster with you?"

"Just shut up."

"Go talk to a wall or stop moaning." He growled, returning the glare.

Her body shook with anger.

"You don't know anything about me. You have absolutely no idea what it's like to-."

"I don't care."

"Really? I wonder sometimes… If you could care less about me, then why didn't you leave me behind?" Her tone was hard and fierce.

"We're almost back at the apartment now, would you rather have me drop you here?"

"………"

They crossed the street and ran through the small playground, almost crashing into kids, but he didn't stop running. The infants stared at them, a few appeared to be frightened while others were just curious. Such innocent curiosity, did they wonder what it was like to be carried by someone who hated you and be helpless as your life bled through your fingertips?

True, they were almost back to his home now, but how she wished that he would just let her be. Then she felt guilty and selfish, Seifer had sacrificed his freedom to save them. He had loved her enough to give up something that he must have wanted so badly, just so she could be safe. Even when they had hurt him so much, he wanted to give her the chance to live, he wanted her to be happy. Even back in the field, he had told her to run, to leave him there, as long as she got out alright. But how could she manage? Wasn't she too weak now? Wasn't it too late to let hope weave it's way into her mind? Thinking about him, remembering what it was like to be one with him, it was what gave her the strength to go on for another day. The courage to wake up every morning without him, knowing that he was going through hell for her, it was what kept her from giving into total despair as she had ran through those halls at school and saved herself as she landed on the ground outside after sliding down the roof. If he was there with her, would she be acting as defenseless and illiberal? Quistis had Squall with her now, Squall, who had actually inspired her from what he said on the motorcycle, about staying alive and finding Seifer once again. Squall, who had made her shut up about her problems a few seconds ago, and who was now putting all his effort into saving her, even if it meant carrying her.

She had been relying on people so much lately, disobeying direct orders that were only issued for her safety, almost killing herself because she had to go outside, could she not have been patient? If she truly loved Seifer, the way he loved her, would she care more about staying alive for him and rescuing him rather then drowning herself in self-pity and acting weak?

For what was she willing to live? For what would she die? For what…was she willing to sacrifice herself for? An endless stream of questions, too plentiful to answer, they came to her at this moment, just as she had allowed herself to be completely engulfed in anger and self-hatred.

__

Why do you hate yourself?

Because I watched him get taken away, I watched them beat him brutally while being stuck in a cage.

Why do you blame yourself? Why do you blame others?

To sort my emotions. Pointing a finger at someone or even yourself is always less painful then admitting the truth.

What is the truth?

I am weak enough to be calling upon death to end the suffering and pain I am going through.

Are you the only one in pain?

Seifer's in pain as well.

Has he given up?

He saved me…he was strong for me so I have to return the favor.

Is he forcing you to be strong and pay him back for all he's done for you?

He just wants me to be safe. He doesn't expect anything in return.

What are you feeling?

Lost, utterly lost.

Really?

I feel like I don't know what's real and what's a dream anymore. I feel like I want to wake up and find myself in his arms once more.

Are you incomplete without him?

I am one whole, I do not need anyone else to complete me. But I let down my guard for him.

Why did you offer yourself to him?

I had nobody else. He's the only person that loved me, unless you count my dead parents and the foster mother I got taken away from when I was still an infant.

Do you love him? Can you survive without him?

I love Seifer, I never knew that I did. I thought that all I cared about was that feeling when I was bonded with someone. That closeness. I never had anyone that I could be that close with before. I don't know if I can survive without him.

You survived without him for fifteen years, didn't you?

Fifteen years of misery. Fifteen years of nothing. Fifteen years of never knowing love.

What is love?

Love is when you are close to someone, you trust him or her, you give yourself to them fully and expect nothing in return. Love is when someone accepts you just by being yourself. Love is the basis for all relationships.

When you found Seifer, was that the kind of love you speak of?

…Yes…

So then, when you are not with him, you feel the nothingness again, you feel unloved and unaccepted like you felt when you were a child? Is that why you have been acting like one?

When I am without Seifer I feel that I am back with those people who were forced to live with me, they hated me. They hurt me. But…when I was a child I never had to worry about finding love again because I didn't know what it was like.

And now that you know what love is like, do you regret you've known it? 

No, I do not want to forget all that we've been through.

Then what causes you to feel this? To be so weak?

I don't know how else to act. Sadness…confusion…too many emotions at once.

Who controls your emotions?

I control my emotions, or at least I try to. Sometimes it's impossible to help how one feels.

Does Squall help you feel better about yourself?

I don't know Squall. He's so quiet, so cold, so emotionless.

And?

That's how I used to be, before I met Seifer. Then I started to act tough, I still didn't open up to people much but I enjoyed other peoples' company.

Why did you cling so tightly to the life that you despised when you were running from them? And when you were being chased?

After Seifer was gone, I didn't want to feel anything but the numbness, so finally it set in but I found that it wasn't such a merciful gift after all. When I was running, when I was trying to stay conscious in the parking lot, it was the only time I felt alive, the only time I felt like I used to feel before this started.

Do you want to feel alive again?

I want to feel love again. I want to return to being the person I was before – I was strong.

But you buried your fears and self-hatred deep down, ignoring them and turning to Seifer instead. Is that really how you want to be again?

I want to be content with my life and myself. I want to be able to get over my fears and get over my depression and self-pity.

Then why don't you?

Because I do not know how…

So you will rely on him once again?

No. I will start to believe in my life and grow stronger.

How?

I'll stop my fear from getting in the way of my happiness. 

Will you forget what happened, so long ago? What about what's happening to you right now, will you forget that as well?

I don't want to forget, I want to live!

Squall raced up the front steps and nudged the door open then ran through the other one just as it was closing from when a few other people had walked in. The lobby was bright and the glare hurt her eyes. He ran into the elevator as soon as it arrived and was silent for the ride up. She didn't quite know what to think. How could she simply start being strong when she was being carried back to the apartment? 

When the doors opened and Squall went over to the door of their room, he took one hand off her while using the other one to shove open the door and get in.

Walking over to the couch, he gently set her down and she noticed that he was breathing hard and perspiring while he examined her shoulder.

For a long while he was silent, his face betrayed any emotion.

"You're going to die." He said finally, "It would have been better if I had left you back there."

She was silent, thinking about what she had realized in the past few moments.

"It's just a graze, the bullet just slid right past you and ruptured some skin. You didn't lose a lot of blood…it's your head…" He knelt down, taking a closer look at her temple and he became silent.

She knew that he had not been serious about her dying, it was only his way of trying to scare her back to reality, which she had already come back to and accepted.

"I'm alright now. You can tell me. I won't start crying anymore. I will not complain."

"Multiple lacerations and bruises. Your going to be in…"

Though it was still a recent realization, she knew that as time passed, she would eventually start being even stronger.

"A lot of pain." She finished, staring into his eyes and wondering what he was feeling and what he was thinking.

"It'll be gone by morning but right now your going to have to manage."

"I'll be fine. What about you? You must be tired."

He shrugged, got up and went into the kitchen for a short while. She raised her hand to her temple and rubbed it, withdrawing her hand suddenly as she felt a piercing, stinging sensation.

__

It's alright. I am not afraid anymore.

Slowly, but surely, she sat up and rose to her feet, willing herself to get up and walk. The pain was not so bad, as long as she did not think about it and agonize over the wound. Quistis walked over to the kitchen, taking small, slow steps at first, but then walking more fluently as she stepped in. He seemed surprised to see her up, for he raised an eyebrow.

"You should go to bed, you're tired."

"Speak for yourself. I may be in pain but I'm still capable of staying awake and thinking things over."

"?"

"Don't look so surprised. I may have been down for the count for a little while but that doesn't mean that I gave up entirely. We have a battle to fight, and if that involves making some sacrifices then that is fine with me."

"Just a moment ago, you were talking about dying."

"If you thought that you had been shot and assumed you had a fractured skull, would you not believe you were on your deathbed?"

"I suppose."

"It is only mental angst. Everyone experiences but I can deal with it, because I know that I am not alone. However…you don't know that do you?"

"………"

"Even though you were there for me, you will always be alone."

"Why?"

"Because you refuse to let down your walls for anyone, even Rinoa. I do not want you to get me wrong, I am not stating that I am perfect, I am much too close to the opposite, for my own liking. Everyone has their own problems."

"Whatever."

"When is Rinoa getting home? We need to talk about a plan."


	11. Red Red Rose : The Plan

****

Red + Red + Rose : Chpt. Ten : The Plan

Diary Entry: 0059 Date: 04-20-05

It's been a while since I felt normal, it feels nice I suppose. There's still a lot going on. I believe that Squall and Rinoa are surprised by my turnaround, I don't know what happened to me back there. When do you get to the point where you feel so utterly useless and your efforts feel so futile that you just have to become stronger? Perhaps that's what happened, perhaps not. We're just about to go over to plan. I saw Irvine yesterday, I visited him yesterday and he seemed pleased to see me back to my usual, sarcastic and interesting self. I can't help but wonder how people have been putting up with my attitude lately, I assume that they were just trying to be good mates. I told Irvine that when this was all over, I'd start working at the pub again, definitely not the Opium, but I guess in contrast to being trapped in a cage, the Honey-Bee Pub seems like heaven. As much as I miss Seifer's constant attention and interest in me, I've felt quite lonely lately, I'm longing to see him again…I wonder what he's doing…

__

"Are we going to go over the plan today or not?" Rinoa called to her from the living room. Quistis hopped out of the computer chair and signed off her journal, striding over to where Rinoa sat with Squall.

"Go on with it." The blonde told her.

"Alright, first of all, I want to make sure that everyone's okay with their roles. Quistis, you'll just have to stand around and act seductive, I know that Blake has quite a few questions that he wants to ask you, especially since Seifer hasn't told him anything. I overheard them chatting this morning. We're hoping and guessing that Blake will take you into his conference room, either alone or with Seifer but we're still not sure about that. What he has planned is…well…"

"I know." Quistis said.

"In the mean time, while your entertaining him, we'll be crawling through the vents and setting up an explosive device. I'll be on lookout and I'll have the codes at hand, Squall will activate the bomb while I relay him the codes."

"Wait, I thought that you wanted to put Blake in jail, not kill him?"

"That's how we're planning to trap him. Squall will have the detonator and will be watching from up above, in the vents. Meanwhile, I'll come in, armed of course, grab you & Seifer and then we'll lie about the bomb, stating that it will go off in five minutes. Then, we'll grab him and take him hostage so none of his men can shoot us, and make our way outside where multiple police cruisers will be waiting, using Seifer as our guide because I'm still not familiar with a few floors. Squall will have grabbed the device, assuming that everything goes smoothly, and he'll come out as well, sneaking out through the roof and then rappelling down the building."

"That's plan A." Squall concluded.

They took a moment to allow her mind to process the information and think the plan through.

"What if Seifer's not in the conference room with me?"

"Moving on to plan B, it will be basically the same but when I come into the room to grab you and Blake, if Seifer's not there I'll say there is a seven minute delay instead of five, that way we can take Blake hostage and find him."

"So let me get this straight, the explosion device is never going to actually be set, why are we bringing it in?"

"Moving on to plan C." Squall continued.

"If Blake buts up a resistance or for some reason, things get much too dangerous between you and him, Squall will be setting the device for a 10 minute delay, coming down the vents to grab you and I, Seifer also if he's there. He'll take us out through the vents and we'll have a helicopter waiting at the rooftop, after contacting the police squad with the bad news, and get shipped off in the air. Meanwhile, the doors will be jammed shut before anyone can leave and then the building will explode."

"So if something goes wrong while in the conference room, Squall will set the bomb, come and get us, we'll be taken off in a helicopter, and then the bomb will go off?"

Squall and Rinoa both nodded.

"What if Seifer's not in the room when something goes wrong?" 

"Squall will then set the delay timer on the bomb to longer and we'll try to locate Seifer, however in a last minute and desperate action, we may have to evacuate." Rinoa forced a smile, "But the way that we have things set up, nothing will go wrong, trust me. It's practically fool-proof unless Blake decides that he wants to die."

Quistis was silent, wondering what she should tell them.

"You know…that if we can't get Seifer out of there…I won't be going either." She said finally, thinking the matter over carefully.

Rinoa lowered her eyes and nodded, almost sadly.

"I know, I thought that you'd say something like that. I'm not going to ask you to reconsider, or try to argue with you. I know you and Seifer…you care about him very much."

"Are you positive?" Squall confirmed, trying to stare her in the eyes, but she only looked away, still deep in thought. Taking a deep breath, she slowly raised her head to meet his gaze and nodded, her face betraying any emotion.

"Quistis, we don't want to lose you. I'm sure nothing will go wrong but tell me one thing. I have to hear it from you."

The blonde turned to face her and arched an eyebrow.

"Tell me that you know what your doing and that you're doing the right thing."

"It's not about right and wrong anymore. It's about how I feel, it's so difficult to see that separation between good and bad. The two contrasting colors – light and shadow – I see the gray."

"I understand." Rinoa replied, frowning a bit and taking a deep breath.

"When are we to proceed with the plan?" Quistis asked.

"Tomorrow night, we'll be sneaking in. Well, you'll be found wandering around the building, just give yourself up easily, fake some waterworks and moan to see Seifer. That way, if you try to refuse to talk to Blake unless you can see Seifer, you'll have a better chance of getting him into that conference room."

"You seem confident about this conference room, how do you know that he won't decide to just talk to me in the lunge or some other place in that penthouse?"

"Trust me, he always talks in the conference room. The idiot practically sleeps in there."

"What does he look like? Blake, that is."

"Hmm, well, he has long, rather odd hair. It's the strangest color of grayish-white that I've ever seen. Trust me, you'll know it's him when you see him."

There was silence for a while; none of them knew quite what to say until finally Quistis spoke up.

"I know that we're at the most critical point right now. We'll be going through with the plan tomorrow and it's certainly a bad time to be asking to do this. But…there are a few people I need to see, would you be able to escort me to the Opium?"

The two brunettes looked at each other, Rinoa nodded, Squall shook his head. Slowly acknowledging how Squall felt, she saw that the couple was now glaring at each other, she nodded and got up.

"I suppose that I'll see you both in the morning then?"

"No." Said Rinoa, who still had her eyes narrowed at Squall, I'll be escorting you to the Opium. Squall will stay here."

"I don't want to cause any problems."

"It's alright. Don't even give it a second thought. Rinoa reached her hand out for the keys to the motorcycle which were on the table, Squall placed his hand over hers, staring at her angrily.

"Squall, this is my decision."

"The FBI said that under no circumstances was she to be-"

"I don't care what the FBI said." Rinoa threw up her hands in protest, "All you ever do is take orders Squall, don't you ever get sick of it?" She stared at him, trying to figure out what he was feeling.

"You're endangering the mission."

"The hell I am. Fine, you can have it your way." She began raising her voice, "We'll walk, come on Quistis."

She tried to open her mouth to object but Rinoa had already grabbed her arm and passed her a jacket.

"Be sensible, Ri-"

"It's not fair. I don't understand how you can just stand there, not _feeling anything, not caring about other people!"_ The female agent interrupted her, "You don't give a damn about anyone except yourself, I don't understand why and, frankly, I'm not sure that I want to."

"………" Was Squall's reply.

"Quistis has friends that she cares about, people she wants to see. Nobody wants to be alone in life. Only you and I hate you for it." 

Tears began forming in Rinoa's eyes but she quickly turned away from Squall before he could see any of them fall, stomping out the threshold, she grabbed Quistis and dragged her outside the room as well, slamming the door behind herself. Only when she was outside did she start wiping her eyes. The older woman was unsure of what to say, how to comfort her, so instead of trying to say anything, she brought her close and hugged her, feeling the girl trembling as sobs racked her body.

"I'm sorry that you have to see me like this. Squall was right, it would be dangerous…it would be dangerous if you went out right now. The warning is for your own good, I just need some time alone right now to think." Rinoa pulled away from her, tears still lingering in her eyes, but slowly began backing away.

Quistis could only nod and force a smile.

"Rinoa, it's not so bad. Squall just doesn't know."

"That's the problem."

She turned around and walked into the elevator, giving a small wave goodbye as the doors closed, leaving Quistis standing outside of the apartment, contemplating whether or not she should go back in.

The door opened, Squall stood there silently, he took Quistis' hand and slowly led her back inside after staring into her eyes for a long moment. She tried to give him a look of understanding but did not know exactly how she should be feeling at the time. He was leading her somewhere now, in the living room? Why here?

He sat down on the couch and motioned for her to sit down beside him.

"Squall, I'm sorry. I never meant to start anything."

"It wasn't you. Don't bother. You're the only one who ever listened, anyway."

"What? Me? But Rinoa cares about you so much and she loves you. If only you'd open your heart and your eyes you would be able to see tha-"

Squall interrupted her quickly, moving forward and placing his mouth on hers. He kissed her, long and hard, exactly like Seifer used to kiss her. The pleasure of his soft lips against hers, his arms around her, the feeling of having someone love her again. Someone who wanted her. She slowly backed away from him, realizing what they had just done.

"I-I can't do this."

"Why? There is no bad and good. You said it yourself, Quistis. You can only see the gray. It's harder to determine the light from the shadow."

"But I love Seifer, you must understand that my heart is for him."

"I don't care. Tonight. I need this tonight."

He pressed his mouth against hers again, even harder this time, teasing her tongue and running his hands through her hair.

"It's wrong." She managed to whisper, pulling back once again.

He had already embraced her though, and they were lying down on the couch. He tried kissing her one more time, she attempted to resist…but there was something there. That one surge of emotion, that feeling that kept her going. The love…the tenderness of his skin. She found herself unable to pull away, slowly responding to his desperate kisses and sliding back further on the couch as he placed his hands over her wrist and began trailing kisses down her neck.

__

Seifer…Seifer used to do that.

His lips met with hers again and he kept going down, unbuttoning her shirt and kissing her down her entire abdomen, then he began working his way up. Then she felt his tongue, caressing her own, reminding her of what it was like to bond with someone like this. The sudden urge hit her and she slipped off his white shirt, pulling it over his head and throwing it to the side, on the floor. She sat up a bit, staring at him, wondering what to do. She had just come one step closer to what seemed inevitable at the moment.

"You have to stop…" She whispered, and yet allowed him to gently leave kisses up and down her chest.

"Quistis…" He said her name, placing his hand on her bra, waiting for her approval to any further, this time actually stopping.

__

Seifer…

That one word pained her as she knew what was going to happen very shortly. Closing her eyes and biting her lip she called upon all the strength she had…and shook her head, pushing him off of her before jumping off of the couch, running into Rinoa's room, half-naked, and slamming the door behind herself.

She prayed that he wouldn't knock as she lay there, not knowing what to do, not knowing what to say. Spread out on the bed, under the covers, she realized that it was only the early evening hours. She would have to come out sometime but she did not want to face him. His accusing stare, that thin, firm line that formed his lips, the hurt expression that she knew he would only display on the inside, not allowing her to see it.

"I'm sorry."

__

What would Rinoa think if I tell her? Should I tell her? Does she really need to know? What about Squall, would he really want Rinoa to know? What would he do if I told her?

It didn't matter. They hadn't done anything too serious so why even bother tell Rinoa? No, she decided the brunette already had enough on her mind and they had to start concentrating more on the mission. If Rinoa found out that Squall had done that she would be broken. Quistis didn't know what she would do.

She knew that there would be dangers involved, although she was prepared to do anything necessary, even if it meant going into the Lion's Den, which was exactly what she was supposed to do.

__

What will Blake be like? Will he try to hurt me? What if something goes wrong and Rinoa or Squall are taken hostage? 

There was no plan D and they were just 'assuming', as Rinoa had said, that Blake would take her into the conference room. What if he was planning to kill her on the spot?

She heard the front door open and slam, the locks jangled. Pushing the thoughts out of her mind, she forced herself to stand up and get out of bed, wondering if Rinoa had got back already. Taking a deep breath, she strode through the bedroom door, expecting to see either Squall or Rinoa, however there was no sign of either in the apartment. Though his door was closed, she doubted that he was inside.

__

So after preaching about endangering the mission, forbidding me to go out, and even arguing with Rinoa, he decides to leave me here by myself? Hypocrite.

Quistis thought about how upset Rinoa had been and how Squall had acted. Would they get back together? Of course they worked as a team but she also knew that they were involved romantically. Did they usually fight like that? Would they abort the mission?

She decided not to think about those things since she had no answers to the questions and it was pointless to worry about it if they would only eat at her. It wasn't as though Rinoa had threatened to leave Squall permanently. Squall hadn't even raised his voice or tried to physically block her from going out. Rinoa would be back soon, she guessed, and perhaps she would explain a few things.

__

Like why Squall is so silent and emotionless? What caused him to be like that? Did he get hurt when he was younger? Why did he kiss me? 

Since she was alone, there was no point in staying there in the apartment and sitting around. At least if she was with Irvine and Selphie or Zell, she would have some company. What could possibly go wrong? Rinoa had given her a gun to use for protection and she could just wear some kind of disguise so Blake's men couldn't possibly recognize her. It wouldn't be hard to slip on her glasses, a hat, and perhaps a pair of baggy pants, which she would never normally wear.

Walking back into Rinoa's room, she searched through her closet and found a baseball cap and a pair of bulky cargo pants. Although she found them repulsive to wear, especially the cap, she knew that she would be safer that way and wasn't prepared to compromise anything for her well being. Grabbing her glasses off of Rinoa's dresser, she slipped them on and adjusted her hair so that the hat hid most of it, save a few golden strands that fell around her face. Carefully, she picked up the gun, wondering whether it would be best just to leave it there, however she shook her head and forced herself to grab the holster as well and clip it on her belt, using a bulky sweater to cover it up.

__

Hmm, I don't even recognize myself in this, I doubt that any of his men will.

Quistis hesitantly walked out of the room and grabbed her bag from the floor near the door. Slowly opening the door and peeking out the hallway, making sure that nobody suspicious was sneaking around. Then, stepping outside cautiously, she made her way over to the elevator and waited for it to come up, all the while trying to act normal, less nervous then she seemed. It came within a few moments, there was only one older man in it and she doubted that he could work for Blake so she stepped in. The ride down seemed slow, her eyes kept wandering over to where to man was standing, frowning slightly, she bit her lip, attentive to the fact that he wasn't as old as he seemed. 

__

Just let this ride down be alright, after I get outside, I can run and I won't have to be trapped in such a small space.

The man seemed to be paying no attention to her, staring up at the ceiling with a thoughtful look on his face. She found herself glancing at his waistline to make sure that there was no bulk where a holster could be located, and blushed as she looked up and he was making eye contact with her. He tried to force a smile but gave her odd looks for the rest of the ride down, probably a bit frightened by her apparent curiosity in his lower regions.

Finally, the bell dinged and they arrived at the lobby, the doors opened and she rushed out, quickly walking towards the door and not looking back, taking a deep breath in order to perhaps calm herself down a bit.

Quistis practically raced through the front doors, welcoming the cool air of the night as it hit her. She inhaled the scent of spring and began walking towards the curb, where several cabs were located. Peering into one, she noticed the driver was middle-aged male, looking boredly out the window. Quickly, she opened the door and got in, not allowing herself to backtrack and worry about the danger of doing this.

"Take me to the opium."

She made her voice sound deep, butchy, and gruff, hiding her English accent.

"Opium? Vat iz zis Opium you spek about?"

"It's a night club."

"Vhere is zis night club?"

"107 Trabia St."

"Von oh zeven Trabia Zt.?"

She nodded quickly and glanced at his name take.

__

What a peculiar accent… Dr. Odine… Dr? If he's a doctor then why is he working in a cab?

"Zhis night club, vhy are you going zhere?"

"Meeting friends."

"Ah, I zee."

The streets seemed quiet, not as busy as usual. They passed the elementary school and the alley and she shivered as she remembered what happened earlier. The car was a relatively quiet one and the silence was awkward, though she had no clue what to say to the odd doctor.

"My name iz Odine. Dr. Odine. Vhat iz yours?"

"Uh," She pretended to clear her throat, "Kora. Kora Travesura."

"Ah! Zat iz Zpanish, no?" He took his eyes off the road for a moment, looking back at her.

She saw a traffic light coming up, a red one, and panicked, wondering how this man had managed to get this job, much less a license.

"Yes, yes it's Spanish. The road!" She nearly shouted as they got closer and closer.

"Vhat?"

The light was getting closer and closer, they were practically driving in the middle of the street now.

"The road; there's an intersection coming up!"

"Ah yez, I zee zhat." He turned around, just as they came up to it and pushed his foot down, as hard as possible, on the brake, making Quistis nearly fly forward, had it not been for the seatbelt.

"I apologize for zhat." He mumbled, letting out a strange noise like a crazy cackle, which she assumed was a laugh.

She guessed that he had decided to keep his eyes on the road from now on, obviously a bit embarrassed because he was forcing a smile while small beads of sweat trickled down his face. The silence came once again as they kept on driving, getting closer and closer while she got more and more anxious and apprehensive.

"Vhe are almost zhere, you look nervouz, vhy?" He turned around once more, this time tilting his head to the side and giving her a curious look.

"Date."

"Ah, young love beeerdz. Zo nice to zee." He took his hands off the steering wheel and scratched his head, still facing her. Her eyes widened in surprise and horror, wishing that they were there.

"I'll get off here." She offered, they were now driving on the other lane on the road and there were oncoming cars swerving and honking.

"No, no. Ztay a vhile." He turned around, just as a car was about to hit him and Quistis had prepared for impact. Quickly steering the car to the right, they narrowly avoided the head-on collision as the blonde gripped onto the door handle. They were right outside the opium now and the insane driver came to a quick stop, nearly causing the car behind them to crash.

She passed him a five-dollar bill, giving him a one dollar as a tip.

"Ah, keep eet, in exchange zhat you don't tell anyvon zhat I drive so recklessly."

She tried to protest but he began yelling out foreign curses, frightening her and so she quickly just hopped outside the vehicle and gave him a smile before running off and not stopping until she was at the entrance.

__

Thank God that I made it out alive. I thought that we'd never arrive.

She nodded to the bouncer who recognized her as Irvine's friend, stepping aside and allowing her in. The floor was practically alive with flashing lights and the music blared loudly, meanwhile the bass practically shook the very foundation. There were dancers crowding the stage but she noticed that there were no more cages, raising an eyebrow in surprise. Slowly, she made her way across the floor, turning down anyone who asked her for a dance but smiling weakly. Selphie was at the bar, chatting to Raine, with her back turned to her. The petite brunette was chatting away a storm and giggling. She came up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. Immediately, she turned around in surprise, when she saw Quistis her jaw dropped.

"Quisty!" She practically yelled louder then the music, squeezing her friend in a tight hug and jumping up and down ecstatically, "I can't believe you're here! I've got to call Irvy over!" She grabbed Quistis' hand and waved to Raine, promising they would be back in a few moments, she dragged her across the dance floor once again, winking at a few guys that whistled at her.

"I've missed you. You haven't been on the bus lately or at school."

"I know, I'm sorry."

"Well, at least you were there a few days ago. So whatcha been up to?"

"Nothing really." She lied, biting her lip.

"Jeez! I practically didn't recognize you in those clothes. Why the heck are you dressed like that? Trying to ward off any male attention?"

"Heh, no."

"Whatever. Booyaka! There's Irvine." She pointed to him, smiling, but her expression suddenly changed to fury when she saw that he was dancing with one of the people on stage, they were grinding.

"It looks like he's just-"

"Ooh I can't believe him! He has some nerve! Tonight's our anniversary too so I don't have to work!"

She dropped Quistis' hand and stomped over to him angrily, he turned around, his ear-to-ear smile turning into an expression of shock and then fear as he saw how pissed off Selphie was.

"I can't believe you Irvine Kinneas! You have some nerve!" She raised her hand to slap him but he stopped her, gently grasping it, pulling her close, and kissing her.

"Well, you two seem to be having fun, I'm just going to-"

Irvine pulled away from Selphie and stared at her, not recognizing the dancer at all, even with her accent.

"Who is this fag? Selph, are you on a date with someone?" He sounded slightly angry now, but more surprised. The hyper girl laughed and Quistis joined her.

"Unless you call Quistis a male, nope!" She replied.

"Quistis?! Woah, never thought I'd see you here!" He practically yelled, bringing her close with one arm and giving all three of them a hug.

"So, babe, how's it going?"

Selphie stuck her tongue out at him but grinned at Quistis.

"Lonesome." She teased him, winking at Selphie, "That's why I came here."

"Ah, honey, I can fix that. Come on, I bet there's lots of guys here that want to dance."

She laughed as he led her out to the floor, one hand in hers and one hand in Selphie's. He seemed to be heading over to someone who was sitting at a table. The man was alone; he was dressed in a casual baggy tee shirt and khakis. His hair was blonde and spiked up, his expression was sullen. It was Zell and he looked incredibly depressed. His gaze rested on the floor, eyebrows narrowed and blue irises dull, lifeless it seemed. Her expression suddenly changed to worry. 

__

Zell? What's wrong with you? What have you done to yourself?

As they walked over, she saw him rise to leave, figuring that he was getting kicked out for just sitting there, she assumed. He dragged his feet on the ground and sighed.

"Zell!" She called out, forgetting about her different voice.

He turned to face her, his eyebrows arched in surprise for a moment, and then his expression turned to utter despair.

"Zell, what's wrong?" She asked.

"Quistis…" He stared into her eyes, then grabbed her hands and took them in his own. She noticed that he had a several dark purple bruises on his face. He opened his mouth to tell her something but did not speak a word.

"I've never seen you like this?"

"He didn't tell me or Selphie anything. I figured he might open up to you." Irvine told her, then slowly backed away with Selphie.

"Tell me." She ordered, softly but firmly.

"It's you…Quistis you've gotta get out of here. You have to leave before they find you." His voice shook as he spoke, not able to hold back his concern anymore, "They saw me hanging around with you at school, everyone ran out that day, they came after me and beat me up. I-I tried to use Karate but they had guns."

She frowned at this, gently pulling her hand away to place it on his cheek, near one of the bruises.

"What did they want?"

"They wanted to know where you were. Your locker combo…Where you lived…" He recalled.

"What? When did they do this to you?"

"Quistis, that's the thing. They were outside. Waiting outside the club, near the alley."

Her blood ran cold, she could feel her heart thudding in her chest as the music seemed to go silent and the bass only stood out more.

"Damnit. They're waiting for me."

"I ran in here, t-they shot at me but I made it in before it hit."

"I'm sorry, Zell." She bit her lip, wondering what she could tell him.

"You've got to get out of here. I don't know-"

"No, promise me that you'll get out of here. You have to go now, if you run through the front doors, there are taxis waiting, hop into one and get away. They won't see you."

"But, they're waiting! They know what I look like!" He was frantic.

"They won't see you," She lowered her gaze, "Because they'll be busy chasing me."

"What are you saying? That's insane!"

She shook her head and looked around before grabbing on to his hand and pulling him over to a less crowded area.

"Listen to me, I have a gun. I know how to deal with this. Remember when I told you I didn't know Karate?"

"Huh? What are you talking about? How did you get a gun? Are you…?" A look of fear crossed his face.

"I'm a Special Forces agent in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I know what I'm doing. I-" She stopped for a moment, knowing that it was all one big lie, "I know Karate. I'm trained."

"Are you serious? YOU"RE FROM THE-"

"Shh! I'm undercover. You can't let anyone know about this, okay?"

"Holy Shit! Woah, that's major! I can't believe it! T-Thank you Quistis!"

She forced a weak smile, praying that she would survive the chase. Hoping that they wouldn't find her bloodied remains somewhere in the gutter, and praying, above all, that Zell would not get hurt, that she would be able to protect him. They had taken too much away from her; it was time to get even. Time for them to be taught what it felt like to be in pain.

__

Just because they have guns doesn't mean that I can't knock them down. I only wish that I honestly did know Karate. Zell needs to get away though, I can't afford to get caught tonight. It will throw off the entire plan. Where can I run? 

She found herself pulling Zell over to the door, a rapid plan forming in her mind as she pushed past people and increased her pace. They were almost there now, every step brought her closer and closer to the danger that awaited. 

"Zell…" She started, remembering her ride down.

"Yeah?" He asked, becoming nervous as he saw they had finally arrived at the front.

"Whatever you do, don't get in a cab with a man named Odine." She smiled again, but this one was genuine and her eyes sparkled with laughter, for a moment she forgot about the situation at hand.

"Odine? Huh? Why not?"

"He's just a really, really horrid driver." She paused for a moment, realizing that this was it, she would have to start running as fast as possible in the next few moments.

"Oh, heh, well I'll make sure I don't." He looked at her, biting his lip, unsure of what to say.

"Don't worry about me." She said, her voice becoming soft before she leaned towards him, her lips meeting the soft skin of his cheek, "Make sure you get home safely."

His eyes widened and his mouth became agape as he realized that she had just kissed him.

"Q-Quistis…I-" She silenced him by putting her finger to his lips and gently pushing him towards the door, "T-Take care of yourself!"

She nodded to him before following him outside while removing the gun from it's holster, she turned around and waved to Irvine and Selphie who were on the stage, and made sure to guard him as she saw the four men waiting, leaning up against a car, directly to her right, near the alley. He got into the cab, just as they started to walk over to her, and waved goodbye to her before she slammed the door shut and watched the taxi pull away. They weren't too far away now and she turned around, squeezed the gun for reassurance, and began racing down the street.

__

This is the last time that I am going to be chased. This time it's them who'll want to run.

Her feet felt light and her body felt weightless as she sprinted down the sidewalk, aware that they weren't too far behind.

__

Alright, which one is going to go down first? Shit, only six bullets, I can only afford to miss twice. I've got to wait till they're closer or they stop moving.

Her breathing hastened, her heart began to thud loud enough for it to drone out most other noises, even her rapid breathing.

__

There's an old, abandoned motel down the road, I can get some cover there.

She knew it wouldn't be long before they were at her ankles, they would try to grab her then, or shoot at her if they were too far away. Quistis dashed around people and practically shoved them out of the way as she continued to run.

__

Why does Blake want me so bad? What could Seifer done that would anger him so much? I don't know anything about him or just what he plans to do with me in that conference room.

…And that was precisely what scared her the most.

[ *Author's Notes* : I know everyone is probably getting tired of the chases. But don't worry, this one definitely will not be long. However, there will be a lot of fighting and violence in the next chapters, it will get quite heated and there may even be a bit of sexual stuff, nothing over the rating of PG, don't worry. I'm just cautioning anyone who does not enjoy reading about violence or those kinds of things. Thank you everyone for encouraging me to write more and you can expect that the next few chapters will be full of suspense, action, and surprises. ]


	12. Red Red Rose : Getting Even

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Red + Red + Rose : Chpt. Eleven : Getting Even

She had no idea how they managed to recognize her through the disguise but she didn't care. It was too late to hide and she was almost as the motel. Thoughts seemed to dizzy her as she continued to quickly think of some sort of plan, all the while running at full speed and nearly shoving people out of the way.

An intersection was coming up, there were cars speeding across, blocking her from crossing. She would have to run through it and risk it though, there's weren't any alternatives and she certainly wasn't about to give up so easily. Not without a fight… She was now standing at the edge of the road where the cars were whizzing by. She stopped for a moment to quickly give herself the courage to run across, boosting her speed for a few seconds as she took a few deep breaths before leaping into the middle of the traffic. Tires screeched, horns honked and cries of dismay sounded as she made her way to the center of the road, dodging left to avoid getting hit by a truck. Quistis hurled herself forward to escape getting grazed by a car that had been speeding towards her. The three men had also started making their way across the road. Their speed, strength, and agility seemed almost inhuman as they used cars as stepping stones, jumping from hood to hood.

Sirens could be heard in the distance as she continued cautiously running and looking around as she crossed the busy street. She had to make it; everything was depending on her. She couldn't let them down. Besides, if she stopped now, they would get a clear shot at her this time. There was still a bandage wrapped around her shoulder from where the bullet had knicked her before, back at the school. There was only one more lane left but Quistis saw that it would be nearly impossible to cross. An accident had taken place up ahead, she presumed that it had been partially her doing, and now cars were rushing to the scene, curious to find out what happened. However before she even had time to think, she noticed one of the guys was standing not too far behind her, a few lanes back, and readying his gun. Reasoning and her sense of logic left her as she dashed forward, her legs sprung off the ground and she flipped up into the air. For a brief, but frightening moment she landed on the roof of a speeding car, but quickly catapulted herself off of it and completed another flip in the air. When she came down, falling towards the ground, she landed on her feet on the sidewalk. She had safely made it across. But she did not have the time nor the energy to do a victory dance and congratulate herself for accomplishing such a task, because her enemies were rapidly catching up with their guns pointed at her.

Picking up speed once again, though her shoulder was throbbing and more then anything she wanted to just slow down, she increased her pace, pushing herself to the absolute limit. Everything went by as almost blurs, nothing seemed real anymore, only getting away and living to see tomorrow was what counted.

The motel was getting closer and closer. It was an old, rotting, cement building with rust and decay creeping up on almost everything in its vicinity. Chunks of cement along with huge rock-like blocks lay scattered around. There was exposed pipelines and steel from the very foundation as well. Dangerous materials were littered all around however she was only concerned about using what remained of the walls as a cover from the bullets.

Just as an explosion sounded from not far behind her and bullet soared through the air, straight past her, extremely close to her neck, Quistis hurled herself through the air and behind one of the rotting walls of the motel.

The footsteps from behind her seemed to stop and she heard voices murmuring close by. Now safely behind the block of cement, she allowed herself to take a few deep breaths before peeking her head around to see one of the men very close to her, looking around. She aimed her gun directly for his head and fired. The explosion would have probably made her drop the gun and fly backwards if she hadn't had a grip on it like Rigamortist had been setting in. The sound of the shot rang in her ears and seemed to jolt her brain. The man instantly spun around to come face to face with the speeding bullet; it ripped into his forehead and into his skull. He let out a grunt before collapsing on the ground. Meanwhile, the other two men had heard the noise and decided to run over.

__

Shit, they're coming at me from two directions.

She was sure that the first one had seen her so she jumped up and fired two shots at him, missing the first time but knicking him on the hand the second time. His wounded hand formed a fist but he did not stop running towards her. Here eyes widened in surprise and she tried firing a third shot at him, only to have it ricochet off a wall and narrowly miss her as it flew by her head. 

Suddenly the man had a gun aimed at her head before she could duck down. He was only a few feet away and she doubted he would miss. She was frozen in panic, her eyes darted around to where the other one was running at her. She knew the other man would fire at her if she tried moving so she stayed perfectly calm as he walked over to her. A chill ran down her spine when he stood in front of her, though the concrete was blocking her body, her head was visible. He seemed to smile as he looked at her. The man extended his arm and grabbed onto a fistful of her golden hair. Her hat had fallen off in mid-air back at the intersection and now she winced with pain as she slowly stood up.

__

Dammit. I've got to get away from him.

However the gun that was aimed directly at her forehead made her reconsider when she contemplated running away from him and ducking behind another cement block.

"You little bitch," He growled, "You have no idea how much trouble you've caused."

"I'm afraid you're mistaken. You have no reason to be doing this to me. You're the ones that murdered so many people." She accused, glaring into his eyes.

"Shut up." He let go of her hair for a second. In that moment she tried backing away and raised her foot up to kick him but he now had his hand around her neck. The other man was standing right beside her.

"Fuck you. You're a damn coward."

"You wanna bet?" He pulled her toward him; she stumbled over the chunk of cement and pressed against him as he caught her before she fell.

"What are you going to do, shoot me?"

"No. Blake will take care of that."

"Blake's an asshole. He can't even fight for himself."

"Just shut up." The man repeated, tightening his grip around her throat.

She bit her lip and tried not to gasp for air, instead she breathed heavily and struggled to peel his hand off her, unsuccessfully.

"I'll bet," She whispered, her oxygen supply still closed off, "He doesn't even know how to fire a gun."

The man appeared to become enraged and the other man brought his gun up, pressing it up against her temple. Quistis only winced as the pain came, not giving them the satisfaction of letting them hear her in pain.

"Go ahead. Shoot me." She called them on, gritting her teeth and balling her hands into fists.

"Enough talk." The other ordered, "Time to bring her back to the boss."

She was determined on staying in place though as they tried dragging her to the car she tried kicking them and wriggling away but it did nothing as they got closer. They were tall and slim, both clad in signature black trench coats and both had identical holsters at their waist. They were strong, stronger then her at least. They knew how to fire a gun, she had just learned. She saw that two more cars had pulled up at the curb, six men stood outside the cars, all-glaring at her. She returned their angry stares and narrowed her eyebrows at them, daring the men to try to attack her.

She knew by now, with all those men standing there, waiting and supervising that it would be impossible to get away. They had her trapped and they knew it. Refusing to admit that she was defeated, she didn't lower her head or frown, instead she ignored them, her mind working frantically to think of some kind of desperate escape plan.

__

Kick them, shove them, try shouting for help. None of the ideas would have worked, they had her at gunpoint and she was not about to try anything dangerous. She was at the sidewalk now, just about to be shoved into the sinister-looking car as she looked around, in panic, for any kind of miracle. They held onto both her arms, both of them had grips like steel that she knew would not release easily.

The backseat looked dark, it looked almost velvety as she was going to get in. The door was open and she noticed that the windows were tinted.

As she raised her foot to get in, a shot flew through the air. A bullet glided directly into one of the men's chest, the one on the right, and he let out a groan before buckling and letting go of her. The other men's attention was immediately diverted to where the shot piece of ammunition had come from. Quistis used the opportunity, when their guns weren't pointed at her, to push herself away from the remaining man that held onto her. 

__

Who was it? Where do I run? What's the hell just happened? Thoughts raced through her mind and she barely had any time to think before the men had their guns aimed at her back once again as she ran away, toward the structure, dodging the bullets that were now being rapidly fired at her. They kicked up dust and clouds formed in the air as they hit one of the pipes, breaking it open and causing multiple chemicals to leak out of it and fog the air.

She saw a girl dressed in black, her eyes narrowed at where the men were standing, looking around frantically for the blonde, she fired another few shots at them, catching another off guard and he fell to the ground. The others either dropped to the ground to avoid getting shot at or hid behind their cars.

It seemed to take forever before Quistis made it safely behind another one of the walls, she pressed herself against it and wiped away the small droplets of perspiration that had formed at her temple when the gun had been pointed at it. Rubbing her throat and wincing slightly, she looked up to where Rinoa stood, smiling and continuing to fire shots at the men.

"You're lucky." She said, turning to face her for a moment, "You would have been taken away if I hadn't followed you from the club. C'mon, this way." 

Both women crouched down to avoid being seen and quickly made their way towards another, more stable wall that offered more protection. The sneaked through the darkness speedily because not too far behind them, even though Rinoa was continuing to cover them, the men were advancing. Though the cloud of chemicals offered a bit of protection, their forms could still be seen as they crawled.

A few shots rang out, aimed for them, the brunette pulled Quistis down and they rolled up against the wall to evade them. The fog was rapidly deteriorating tough and both girls knew that when their cover was blown and they were out in the open it would be over. Quickly scurrying behind the closest block in sight, they failed to notice the man standing beside it. She tried to shout a warning to Rinoa, but by that time the man had already leapt into action, kicking the gun out of Rinoa's hand and bringing his foot back another time to sharply wound her neck, causing the agent to double over backwards. The other teen stood up immediately, delivering a strong blow to the enemy's head and another hard punch to his abdomen. She followed it up by performing a powerful roundhouse kick directed to his head. Her attacker returned the move by charging at her in an attempt to bring her down. She hopped out of the way so that he crashed to the ground and knocked his head on a jagged rock.

By that time, Rinoa had pulled herself to her feet, only to be faced with another foe. She reached for her gun but immediately retracted her arm when a man jumped in front of it. He tried to attack her with a hard hit to the jaw, she ducked down in the knick of time to miss the move. Counter-attacking with a hard sideswipe to the nose, she felt his bone shatter as her fist made contact with his nasal area. Not letting him gain an advantage for even a moment, she brought up her knee and rammed it, hard, into his ribcage. The man keeled over, gripping his chest area, but she wasn't about to stop yet. In a split second she had him in a tight headlock and proceeded to cut off his oxygen supply. Though the man struggled and tried to elbow her stomach, she kept her balance and her grip remained tight until his body fell limp in her arms. She released him and watched as he fell to the ground.

Quistis had made it over to another large, partially decaying wall, and so the other woman cautiously ran over to where she stood, peeking around to see another two men quickly advancing toward them. Rinoa had picked up her gun by then, aimed it at the man on the right, and sent a bullet sailing into his upper chest. He moaned in pain while his partner instantly jumped behind the closest piece of cement for cover, blocking the other gunshots. The wounded man fell to his knees, cursing them aloud and trying to fire his gun. Unfortunately, another quick shot to his head and the rest of his body crashed to the ground.

Looking over her to Rinoa to confirm the action she was about to make, the blonde spun around upon seeing the other fighter nod. She ran over, stealthily, to where the man had tried to hid himself and found him crouching, waiting for her. He stood up and swung his fist at her, hitting only hair as she dodged to the side. He raised his foot up to kick her abdomen but she was too fast, immediately jumping off of the ground to return the kick with her own. She missed him the first time but her platform boot connected with his side when she lashed out again. His stomach was hard, he had braced himself for the attack. He responded to her move with a strong punch to her collarbone, knocking her off balance as she stumbled backwards. He continued to punch her with hard hits to her sides and upper stomach. She tried to tighten her muscles to nullify the offensive, but only fell to the ground in a desperate attempt to get away. The man raced at her, leaping into the air and sticking out his foot. She looked up in time to see him coming and grabbed his foot in mid-air, twisting it and making him fall down. She struck him lethally in the temple, causing him to black out before he could get up.

Rinoa, seeing another man rushing over to where she stood, came out of cover and charged at him, tackling him to the ground where they began to wrestle. She was on top of him and landed two fierce punches to his jaw area. He shoved her off and then suddenly she was on the bottom, struggling as he began choking her, pressing both hands down hard on her throat. She tried wriggling and squirming away from the man, to no avail. Attempting to throw him off, she brought up both knees and attempted to push the man away, pressing her legs up against his chest. For a moment his guard had been down, she used the opportunity to roll him onto his back and deliver several upper-cutters as she pounded away at him, adrenaline fueling her.

Meanwhile, Quistis had found another gun as Rinoa continued to beat up the other man. She saw one of her enemies creeping up behind her, out of the corner of her eye, just as he was about to take her out from behind. She turned around and fired the gun, missing him all six times that she fired, however the action caused him to back away. She dropped the weapon in disgust and ran up to her foe, just as he had extended his arm to brutally meet her stomach. She flew through the air and felt her body slam against the ground. While the injured woman was still reeling in pain, the man came at her another time. He tried kicking her again when she was down, but she rolled out of the way and managed to pull herself to her feet. He came barreling at her, full speed, so she frantically picked up a large rock and hurled it in his direction, praying it would hit him. There was a sickening thud as it smashed against his skull and he dropped to the muddy floor. 

In that time, however, the man her ally had been dealing with had gained the upper-hand. He was pounded atop of her and pummeling Rinoa with punch after punch. Seeing this, Quistis ran over to where the girl lay, coming up behind the man and knocking him off with a powerful motion with her foot. When he landed a few feet away, the fallen fighter hurriedly returned to her senses and picked up her gun. He was just standing up as she aimed, perspiration forming at her temples, she squinted to correct her vision. The opponent tried ducking, however she shot him several times to his upper body before breathing a sigh of relief. Quistis helped her to her feet and they looked around to see if anyone else was lurking in the shadows. Luckily, it seemed that they had taken everyone out and there wasn't much of a threat anymore. Rinoa guided the other teen away from the rubble, they clumsily stumbled over most of the rocks and exposed pipes, dead tired from the battle. When they got to the street, they crossed and began walking over to the corner, both were practically limping and breathing quite heavily, gathering their thoughts about the fight. When they finally got well away from the mess, they both looked back at it.

"They'll be sending more soon. We've got to get out of here before that happens. We should consider ourselves lucky to have made it out of that alive. Those men have been trained similar to the soldiers in the army or the navy."

Quistis nodded and watched in curiosity as the agent brought her gun up shakily, biting her lip, and fired several times at the uncovered pipes that were spraying out chemicals.

"The gasses will emerge and soon after mixing with all the other chemicals-"

She didn't get a chance to finish because suddenly there were multiple earth-shaking explosions that rose from the rubble. Flames shot high up into the sky and black, hazy smoke filled the air. The sound was deafening as the blasts continued.

"It'll explode." The other girl finished for her, studying the fire.

"I'm sorry for bringing all of this on you tonight. If I hadn't got so angry over that disagreement with Squall, none of this would have happened. We'd be safe asleep in our beds and well rested for the assignment tomorrow. We're supposed to be protecting out and I just stormed off, allowing anger to cloud my vision."

"It happens. Trust me, I have experience with anger. You're only human."

"Yeah, it does happen but it shouldn't. Had I not walked out that door…well I'm just reasonably pissed off at myself. After all, it's not your fault I'm so hard-headed." She sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"We have more important things to be worrying about, like the plan. It's still on, right?"

"Yes, which is why we should hurry back to the apartment now. You know, even though I made a few mistakes tonight, I'm glad to see that you improved your fighting technique and got a bit more practice, should you need it for tomorrow."

"What will they do when they get here? Will they look for the men, trying to save them?"

"Nah, Blake doesn't give a fuck about his men. It's you he wants and he'll do anything to find you. I have to admit, I'm a bit surprised at how desperate he is to get you."

"Me too. Which is precisely why I knew deep down that when I left the apartment, it was the wrong decision. After Squall walked out, I got so angry."

"He left?"

"Mmm. He didn't look too pleased either. I haven't a clue where he might have gone though."

Rinoa shrugged and began walking, leaving Quistis to her thoughts as her friend began walking as well. They stuck mainly in the shadows and the backstreets of the city, wanting to avoid any further conflicts with Blake and his men. The air was warm for a spring evening, the stars and moon were visible in the dark sky as they continued to walk. Music could be heard playing the distance, while the occasional couple or group passed them on the deserted sidewalks. Nobody traveled alone in Chicago at night, there was simply too much violence and the police coverage was scarce in these parts.

It wasn't long before the Opium came into view, the flashing lights and loud techno beats coming from it drowned out most of the chatter taking place outside the busy nightclub. The women noticed that even though it was well into the early hours of the morning, there was still a very long line of people gathered waiting for the bouncer to let them in.

Just as they passed by the club, a jeep carrying a single driver, pulled up on the road alongside them. They were immediately on their guard until they saw that it was Squall. He looked sullen, however she could not think of a lot of times when he didn't appear so cold. Though it was dark out, he still wore his sunglasses that hid his jewel-like blue eyes. They walked over to the vehicle and Rinoa rested her elbows on where his window was rolled down.

"Smooth timing."

"What did you expect? I'm not a chaperone service."

Quistis walked around the jeep and hopped into the back, ignoring their ongoing fight. She motioned for her companion to climb in as well. The brunette looked reluctant, but she hopped into the backseat before crossing her arms in front of her chest and staring out the window.

"Where were you?" She asked, in a rather annoyed tone, to Squall who silently drove them home.

"Out."

"Obviously. But a bit more detail on why you left Quistis in danger, only thinking about yourself, would be a bit helpful."

"It doesn't matter."

"Of course not to you." She scowled, "If we're ever going to end this stupid fight you're going to have to eventually open up to me. As hard and scary as that may seem to you-"

"Just forget it. We don't have time to be wasting throwing useless verbal insults back and forth. We have to concentrate on the mission."

"I can't concentrate like this."

"C'mon guys." Quistis interrupted, "Everyone makes mistakes, not everybody can just make up at snap of a finger. I'm positive that when you're both ready to resolve this, you will."

"Fine." They both agreed, though then tension was high as the jeep sped down the streets of downtown, things seemed to cool down as the group was quiet for the remaining portion of the ride.

Thoughts passed through her mind, she wondered what Blake's penthouse was like. How would he act when he saw her?

__

Of course he'll be rude and disturbing. He's one of the most major criminals in this city.

Still, she couldn't help but contemplate what his base would be like. What kind of luxuries would there be? If he was rich enough to afford his own conference room, what else was there? How would Squall be able to get into the vents without being seen? How would Rinoa manage to take Blake hostage in his own home? He probably had a gun as well. Would they have to set the bomb? What if they couldn't find Seifer or something went wrong and he got killed?

She knew it wasn't normal for her to have so many doubts, however it was her first actual 'mission', as Squall put it. Obviously, there would be danger like all the times before when she had been confronted with Blake's men. This time it would be different though, she would have no escape if something went wrong. As unbelievably tired as she was of running, it was the only way to stay alive when being attacked by those people. Perhaps if she had more combat experience she would nave to, but at the moment it was necessary.

__

How did Rinoa get her training? What did Squall do to help her? What's going to happen to them after this assignment is over? Will I be expected to go on living normally after this is over? What will Seifer be like?

Quistis knew that she wanted to go to Harvard. She had been accepted and had also found out that they were prepared to aid her financially so she could attend and pay for her tuition. After everything had happened, however, she knew that it would be harder for her to leave Seifer, but at least he would live. She didn't want to leave Chicago anymore. Friends…Memories…

There was too much going on at the moment to even think about leaving the city so she pushed the thoughts out of her mind as they pulled into the apartment's parking lot. It didn't seem all that big, just tall. She wondered how big the penthouse would be. Would there be guards at every door?

It was near midnight when they finally made it in. The building was deathly silent as they walked through the lobby and into the elevator. Squall and Rinoa led while the blonde just followed them. The ride up was a fast one, the lift did not stop at any other floors as it got higher and higher. However, the group was barely out of the elevator when the two agents were grabbed and pulled down the hallway, leaving Quistis to peek out before cautiously exiting. There were two males talking to Squall and Rinoa, one was tall and thin while the other one was both large in mass and height. The small man didn't have a very deep voice, but rather it was gruff and harsh. The bigger man barely spoke a word, his voice came out choked and she winced as she saw a large scar on his neck.

She pondered over what they could possibly want, their tones were hushed and it seemed that the couple had completely forgot about her. Were those two enemies or friends? Had they even seen her?

"Quistis, come over here." Rinoa called to her, it didn't look like she was frightened or angry so the other girl assumed that they weren't foes, "These two people are Kiros and Ward, they came here for confirmation about the ride tomorrow."

The two men nodded to her in unison and seemed to study her for a moment before turning back to the others.

"So this is the one?"

"The one? Heh, you can address her a Miss. Trepe." She grinned at them.

"Laguna won't be able to help drive, hope it's okay."

"Laguna? He used to work at the honey-been pub, didn't he?" Quistis asked.

"Yes, he worked there while we were looking out for you." Rinoa answered.

"I see."

"Mmm. So, now that you're familiar with them, I guess it's time to go inside and get some rest."

"I'll take her in." Squall volunteered, motioning for her to follow him inside.

They waved to her as the other agent lead her into the apartment where he sat down at the kitchen table and rubbed his temple, slamming the door behind him.

"Tough night?"

"None of your business."

"I could have finished that sentence for you. I knew it was coming."

"Why do you ask questions to which you already know the answers to?"

"Why are you so intent on hiding yourself behind walls that you've built for yourself?"

"It's not relevant."

"Relevant? Exactly what do you call _relevant? _I believe it would be relevant when it's keeping us from having a conversation. If you ever want to truly work together with someone you've got to open up to them eventually."

"I'm fine alone. I've always been that way."

"You know, talking to you is like talking to a damned robot. It's impossible to trigger a response with any emotion in it whatsoever." She sighed and walked into the living room, falling down onto the couch and getting comfortable, "Join me."

"No thanks."

"It wasn't a question."

She heard him get up, almost reluctantly, and stride over to where she was lying down.

"Care to explain why you kissed me?"

"I'd rather not."

"You know, what I felt for you, it was like a misunderstood love. I wondered what you were like, what types of things you might enjoy, why you were in my class. Right now, I still don't know the answer to that second question."

"Combat."

"Is that because it's easier to take your anger out on others then it is to blame yourself?"

"I want to remain alone."

"How can that be true? You know, I can't believe that you'd say something like that when you've got someone outside in that hall who would do anything for you, she'd sacrifice herself just for _you. _Can't you see that?"

"Whatever."

He was about to get up to leave, but she grasped onto his hand. The leather glove in her palm felt warm and soft, like his skin.

"You must love her back."

"No…I don't."

"Liar. Then why did you save her? Why did you help her and let her join you?"

"She had no where else to go."

"Nobody else to run to, you mean. Nobody to depend on, nobody to make her feel wanted and appreciated."

"………"

"Will you do me a favor tonight, Squall?" She stared into his eyes, ordering him to comply.

"What?"

"Tell her tonight. She's going to give up sooner or later, without any returned feelings, who wouldn't start to back off?"

She sighed as he pulled away from her, just as the door opened and Rinoa entered. For a moment part of her wanted to call him back but another part wanted her to leave them be. If only they could end the fight, it felt awkward. The other woman took of her shoes, weary from the fight as well, and strolled into her room, shutting the door behind herself. Though she felt slightly bad for Squall, something told her that he didn't quite want to make up with her yet, despite her efforts. He went into his own room, slamming the door, she heard him drop onto the bed and sigh. 

__

What is he thinking? It doesn't matter what he's thinking. I shouldn't care about what's on his mind. And yet…If only he wasn't so secretive, perhaps I wouldn't feel this way. Hmph, feel this way? I'm starting to sound like a lovesick tart. I just want to go home, home is safe, home is comfortable, home is…gone. He even managed to take that away from me after taking Seifer. That asshole has some nerve. If he tries to do anything to me tomorrow, he'd better be wearing a jock or else he'll be keeling over on the floor. He'd better…not…have…

Sleep had come soon, she felt like she couldn't keep her eyes open any more, she yawned and curled up into a ball, awaiting her dreams. For the past few nights she hadn't got much rest, it certainly wouldn't help tomorrow night so had to make a point to get as energized and pumped as she could. Her heartbeat seemed much slower then earlier, probably from all the running and jumping. She listened to her breathing, long, deep breaths instead of the short, shallow gasps she took while running.

__

Squall…tell her before…it's too late-

Suddenly, there was a loud, piercing noise and then a white-hot pain. Two arms grabbed her waist and for a moment she thought she was flying through the air. Her eyelids were covered with sleep though, and it was hard to open them as she felt herself being pulled and shoved.

"What the hell?!" She shouted, as she blinked open her eyes only to find herself in the arms of a person dressed entirely in black, bouncing up and down from running. She tried kicking and punching him, struggling to get away.

__

This isn't a dream. Who are these people? Get away!

"Shut up." A male voice barked, it was gruff and raspy. She saw that they were on the balcony now, a rope was hanging down and the man seemed to have some kind of a harness around his waste.

"Get the fuck away from me!" She demanded, though panic was evident in her voice.

"Bitch, if you wanna live you'd better shut your damn mouth." The man warned.

She saw someone emerge from a room in the apartment but couldn't make out who it was. Just then, there was a loud explosion and a bullet soared through the air, passing by her a few feet away. Quistis tried kneeing him in the stomach, bringing up her leg and ramming it up, only to be met with a sharp, gleaming silver object. She moaned in pain and realized that it had been a knife.

"That'll teach you." The man carrying her swung his legs over the balcony railing and hung of the rope, carefully holding onto her.

"Let go!" She tried again, wincing as pain shot up her leg.

"You wanna live?"

He probably would have tried to hurt her again, had they not been dangling hundreds of feet above the ground. She looked up and saw Squall, a shocked and concerned expression on his face. It was the first time she had ever seen him so worried. Trying to raise up her arms to grip onto the balcony, she found that she was too far away as her ally tried to grab them to pull her back up, unsuccessfully.

"I can drop her right here, right now. You stay the fuck away or else I'll blow her bloody brains out."

Rinoa appeared behind Squall on the balcony, a hand raised to her mouth as she could only watch her friend being carried down the rope.

"Try anything and I'll snap it." She threatened, clenching her fists and gritting her teeth from where she stood.

The man began going down faster and faster, despite her attempts to stop him, it was impossible in the position she was in, hooked onto him by some kind of belt.

"Why are you doing this? Who are you?"

"You'll find out soon enough when you see the boss."

"Boss? Wha-"

"One of Blake's cronies." Rinoa growled, biting her lip as she saw there was nothing she could do that wouldn't involve harming the other girl.

By that time, Squall had ran inside the apartment and Quistis assumed that he was going to try to make it down to the ground before they could.

"You better watch it or I'll cut off this belt and drop her like a rock."

"Speak for yourself, you'll be falling down with her if you do that." The female agent from the balcony countered.

She looked down, only to find that they weren't too far now, the man had been sliding down the rope while alternating with rappelling and he had been hurrying the entire time. There were five other people waiting down on the ground now, each with guns aimed at Rinoa. She didn't back down though, continuing to stand on the balcony, trying to think of something rational to do.

The teen grabbed onto her enemy's shoulder to avoid falling to the ground after he jumped off the rope, still eight feet in the air. They landed on the ground with a thump and immediately the other men surrounded her in a close circle. Rinoa was practically in tears, shouting down threats to them and swearing revenge.

Just as they began walking over to the car, almost at the sidewalk, despite her kicking and shouting for help, Squall came running at full speed through the apartment doors, she reached out to him, staring at him desperately. However, in a split second the other five men had all their guns pointed at him and their fingers pressing against the triggers, prepared to shoot if her got any closer. He shook his head, cursed in rage, and reluctantly raised his hands in the air, taking a few steps back.

__

You can't do this. You can't let them walk off with me. Squall!

She shot him a desperate, pleading glance, still wincing from the hot pain in her leg.

"Quistis…"

"You get any closer and," One of the men spun around and pressed the gun into her temple, "she dies."

"I don't think Blake would be too pleased about that."

"Fuck you."

They were at the car now, the doors were opened and it was the same make as the one they had tried to shove her into at school, except now she could not struggle with the threat of a bullet being embedded into her skull.

"Hurt her and you'll be spitting blood out through your ass." Rinoa shouted, almost like a maniac, she looked like she would murder them right there from where she stood.

"Yeah, how about if I shoot her right now, get this thing over with, and then fuck her corpse like the whore she is. You can watch and it'll be like at the Opium, bitch!"

Squall looked ready to leap at the man that had said this while the other agent appeared to be disgusted at the crude remark. The next thing she knew, she was forced into the back seat of the car and the world went black.


	13. Red Red Rose : Nothing

****

Red + Red + Rose : Chpt. Twelve : Nothing

It was cold, the winds seemed to blow against her as she walked with Seifer. He looked pensive, confused almost. They were dressed in light clothes and she shivered as another gust of wind came. Ahead of her was Harvard University through the shadows, behind her was the Opium and familiar faces. White snow began to fall and the small crystals felt cool against her skin. All around her there was inky darkness, it was only the snow that radiated small amounts of light. There was no real gravity or atmosphere and no noise aside from the howling of the breeze. Her body felt numb, no pain but no energy either, she didn't know how she continued to keep in stride with Seifer. He stopped as they reached the front gates of the school and she wondered what he was going to do. The large, iron gates remained closed as he leaned against them, taking out a cigarette and lighting it as he looked around. The slence was loud, too awkward for her liking.

"What is this place?" Her voice echoed.

He shrugged and took a puff, exhaling through his nose and blowing out smoke that swirled around in what seemed to be the air.

"What's going on?"

"It's all just one damn dream, a constant nightmare."

"Then why are we here?"

"So many questions, Love."

"You're just another part of my dream…?"

"Or perhaps you're a part of mine. But no, unfortunately, if I was the one dreaming we'd be lying down right now." He sighed and glanced at the large university, "You'll be going there soon."

"I don't know, I've been accepted but-"

"Don't let me hold you back. You've always wanted to go."

"It's not just you." She was thoughtful, "It's everything. Everyone I've met and all the things I've experienced in these past few days."

"You worked hard, I'm surprised."

"That was before all of this happened."

"Before you met Squall."

Quistis narrowed her eyebrows at him and frowned.

"Why is Squall important? He helped me but he has Rinoa and I have you."

Seifer scoffed at the comment, smirking at her before taking another drag.

"You mean to try to tell me that you haven't fucked him yet?" He snickered.

"I'm glad you find yourself so amusing. But, no, I didn't engage in those types of things with him. I've been too busy trying to stay alive and save your ass."

"Don't lie to me, Love. It doesn't suit you."

"If you consider one kiss to be like sex, then we've fucked more times then even your 'ladies' have."

"Hardly, but don't try to tell me that you didn't enjoy that kiss."

"Alright, fine. Don't try to convince me that you haven't been with all of your hoes and didn't enjoy it." She rubbed her temple and glanced at her surrounding again.

"You're right, I did enjoy it, greatly. But none of them compared to you."

She glared at him and scowled.

"I suppose not, seeing as you filmed us and make so much money off of the damn tapes."

"Ha, Squall showed you those?"

"Squall again? What does he and Rinoa have to do with those tapes and everything else?"

"You'll see, you'll see."

"The dream is ending." Her voice reverberated once again as she began walking over to Seifer and he grabbed her hand, leading her through the gates of the school.

Behind them, the Opium and her friends began to fade as their shouts and warnings fell upon deaf ears. The doors to the university opened and they were met with a large crowd of people as they blended in and started walking through the large, long hallway.

__

[ Author's notes (important) : This dream has a bunch of symbolism in it. It'll be important for everyone to be able to understand it for the upcoming chapters and the ending or else you'll be really, really lost. Well, perhaps not lost but maybe a bit confused. Alright, for starters, the Opium and her friends represented how her life used to be and how it might be if Quistis chose her past life over Seifer and Harvard. Without Seifer, she would not go to Harvard University due to her intense passion/love for him. Anyway, even though Seifer has hurt her, she still will not go on without him. Though she made a resolution in one of the previous chapters to not let love rule her life, she still does not want to let go of him quite yet. Harvard basically stands for her future and her new life in a normal world without prostitution and being involved with criminals. There was nothing else around her because she had nowhere else to go, she had to make a decision there and then to confirm her actions for the upcoming chapters. Oh yes, I shouldn't forget to mention that this also hints at what how Squall may be involved in the next few chapters. This chapter has to be the shortest one in the entire story but I just didn't want to fit it in with Chapter Thirteen because lots of exciting things will be happening up ahead.]


	14. Red Red Rose : Alpha

##### Red + Red + Rose : Chpt. Thirteen // Alpha (The Beginning)

She could feel a hard, cold surface beneath her body, it felt like marble. There were dim, small lights that hung from the ceiling, illuminating the large conference room. Quistis was lying on a table, in the skimpy red dress, and sprawled out across it. Immediately coming to her senses, she sat up and saw several empty chairs around the black, rectangular piece of furniture. At the head of the table sat a tall man dressed in some kind of uniform. He had short, dark hair that was graying at the sides, however his face was clean and shaven. The man appeared to be in his forties but he might have passed for younger if he did not have those strands of silver. He looked thoughtful; the male was neither smiling nor frowning, much like how Squall usually looked most of the time. The man's feet were propped up on the large structure and his hands were placed behind his head. Perplexed, was how she would describe him.

"Quistis, Quistis, Quistis. I've finally got you here."

"Who are you?" Her voice echoed like in the dream, making her wonder if this was just another part of it.

"The table isn't very comfortable for lying on." He patted the chair beside him but she did not move.

"I think that I can manage fine over here."

"You like the dress and the diamond?"

She looked down to see the shimmering stone delicately placed on her neck on a silver chain. The dress was short, shiny, and low cut. It was complete by thigh-high platform boots and long black gloves. For a moment she was repulsed, thinking about how he had got the dress on her and what he might have done. Hopping off the table, she took a seat at the opposite end of the table, as far away from the man as she could possibly get. There was a double set of doors a few feet away and she glanced at them out of the corner of her eye. Every nerve in her body screamed for her to run. Ignoring her conscience and fear, she crossed her legs and stared at the man, studying him carefully before her eyes darted back to the doors.

"They're guarded outside, by men with guns and what-not."

"And you are…?"

"Richard Blake Caraway. A former General to the United States army."

He had cold eyes, that was the only thing that worried her, his eyes. They were like glass and his irises had no color at all to them. They had probably seen many murders, witnessed countless crimes.

"Why don't you just get it over with? You want to kill me, so do it."

"What makes you think that?"

"It's obvious. I was a witness to a kidnapping you were involved with and I'm one of Seifer's allies. I've killed several of your men and stirred up more then enough trouble for you. Need I really go on?"

"I suppose you're right. But I have things to ask you first."

"………"

"Like why you believe Seifer is still alive."

"I don't know. Perhaps he's valuable to you."

"Fair enough. Tell me, how much do you know?"

She might have lied, but it was pointless now.

"I know that you're a major criminal who has formed an organization in secrecy and takes part in countless illegal actions."

"I see, Well," He took out a cigar from his front pocket and lit it, staring at her with those stone cold eyes, "I have a business proposition for-"

"Forget it."

He ignored the comment and took a long, slow drag.

"You come work for me and I'll release Seifer."

"Liar. I'll do no such thing. It's the most degrading career a person could possibly have and I'm willing to bet my life that you'd double-cross me."

"Think of the money, think of your lover."

"There is no way in hell."

"You don't know anything, do you? That's fine. Allow me to explain as I take you on a tour of the building."

"I don't need a tour of the building to prove to me what a ruthless fucker you are."

"That was unnecessary. Quistis, all I want to do is-"

"Just shut up."

He stood up, placing the cigar in his mouth and walked over to her. His eyes studying her features in the dress made her feel irritated and repulsed. She remained seated even after he motioned for her to get up. Scowling, the former general yanked her up by the arm, twisted it behind her back, and had a gun pressed against her head in a split second. She tried kicking him away only to be pushed forward and thrust through the doors. Her enemy gripped onto her once again, before she had a chance to escape, and escorted her outside the conference room, waving to the guards at the door. They lowered their guns and looked at Quistis who avoided their stares. Instead, she gazed at Blake with daggers in her eyes and began walking down the hall, falling in stride with him.

"What do you think your doing? Or more importantly, what does a tour of the building have anything to do with what's about to unfold?"

"What _is _going to unfold?"

"The pitiful thing is, only you know the answer to that because you're the one that has me stuck in this whorehouse."

"Whorehouse? Do you see any women dancing around?"

"I think I've seen enough to last me for a long enough time."

"And just what makes you think that I'm so bad? You should talk to your precious Seifer about being bad. Think he hasn't murdered anyone?"

"I don't _think _he hasn't murdered anyone. I _know _that he would never ruthlessly kill or inflict pain unto anyone the way that you do."

"You'd be surprised, _Love._"

"You're to one that doesn't know anything. You think that you have everyone figured out – I hate to be the one to break this to you – but you're wrong. Everything you do is wrong to a point where there's no turning back."

"Stupid slut. I took you in, gave you a beautiful dress, diamond, and I'm even taking you on a tour of the penthouse. How, in any way, have I done anything wrong?"

"For starters, you bloody kidnapped me to get me here."

"If you had come voluntarily I wouldn't have had to and then nobody would have gotten hurt."

"Why would I come to you of my own will? You're a cold-blooded criminal that wants Seifer and I dead. You have no life other then crime and can't seem to do anything that's morally right."

"Morally right? There's no such thing."

"Not to you…I don't know very much about you, but I know that you'd kill anyone without a second thought or any regrets. Morals are something that state what's right and what's wrong according to your conscience. You don't seem to be able to get it through your mind that what you are doing, what you stand for, and just everything here is wrong. I don't care how big this stupid diamond is, or how expensive this slutty red dress cost. What matters is that you have done things that cannot be changed and one day, perhaps not today or even tomorrow, but sometime in the future, they're going to catch up with you. That doesn't bother you one bit, all you care about is having things your way."

"It's a crime to want things to go your own way?" He seemed amused by her argument which only caused her to get angrier.

"You just don't understand. I don't think it's possible for people like _you _to ever know what it's like to be on the other side of the crime. You _kill _people! Don't you see that you're taking away someone's life? Don't you even feel any guilt?"

"Guilt? Never applied to me. I kill who I have to. I do what I have to in order to survive. Let me give you a piece of advice, in this world you either kill or get killed. Lives have to be sacrificed in order for others to continue to thrive. Sorry to break it to you, bitch, but things just work out this way sometimes."

"I suppose that no matter what I do, no matter how hard I try, you'll never know what it's like to lose someone close to you that you care for so much, to suffer the pain of a loss that is so great that you feel like all you want to do is crawl into a hole and kill yourself because of the love and friendship that you've lost."

"Kill myself over someone else dying? Hell I crack open a bottle of champagne when I kill someone. It's a cause for celebration, I've just gotten rid of yet another worthless, pitiful life on this miserable planet. There's nothing that I enjoy more."

"You can't be human…" She stared at him disgustedly and shook her head sadly.

"I never _used _to want you dead. All I wanted was to spend the night with you but of course that protective asshole just couldn't do that. Even after leading me to believe that you would be coming over after selling me those tapes for an unimaginable price."

"I don't care what Seifer did. You don't seem to get it through your thick skull that no matter what you tell me about him or what he did, I'll always choose him over anyone, or anything, else."

"What if I got him to confess it to you himself, that he murdered some of my best men?"

"………"

"That is precisely what I thought your reply would be. So come, to his private room, and see what he has to say."

They approached a room with double-doors at the end of the long, carpeted hallway, and halted when finally a few feet away from it. For a moment she was nervous about what would be on the inside. Thoughts and images ran through her mind, forcing her to almost turn away, as her enemy twisted the doorknob with a gold smile on his face, as if he knew some dreadful secret that would pain her forever.

__

It doesn't matter. Seifer would never betray me. He would never hurt me. Blake's a liar and a fool if he's hell-bent on getting me to not believe in our relationship. That word…it seems to have more of a meaning now that I've realized what we are. It doesn't matter what he's done wrong, the line between the two sides is so blurred and twisted now that it's practically impossible to tell which side is good and the other is evil. Evil? Good? Those things still exist? There is no such thing as good and evil, there are only opinions and beliefs. Biased is what they are, one person forms an image of something sinister and people, like sheep, flock after him or her and believe their every word. Religion…Justice…

What does it truly mean to be on the 'bad' side? Am I 'bad' because I've killed and hurt people? It was in self-defense, though I still took lives. Was it necessary to kill? Could I have just avoided the situation completely? What is it like to have bloodstained hands? Will I have them in the future?

The door opened, to reveal a large room with a four-poster bed and Seifer lying, spread out comfortably with girls surrounding him, giggling and half-naked. He looked content, laughing and smirking at them, playing with their bodies and acting shocked at a few of the things they were doing. Her eyebrows narrowed and she tried to blink, hoping she was imagining this, praying that this wasn't real.

__

No…this isn't Seifer. It can't be him, he would never do something like this. He was kidnapped, beat up, almost dead when I saw him last time. Why would they treat him like this? Perhaps an even more suspicious thought would be, was he enjoying this treatment while I was fighting for his life and my own, being chased by those men? Why? What is Blake doing? Is it a mind game? Is he trying to trick me? What does he want from me and what did I do to make him want to hurt me so badly? Seifer could never do this with a clear conscience. He…has a conscience. He…knows the difference from right from wrong, doesn't he? What if he was playing me this entire time? All those moments, all those feelings, that love. It was love I was feeling towards him, wasn't it? Not just lust of pleasure, it was the type of love that only couples that return the emotion can feel for each other. Through my dark personality, I've always loved him. What is this? This isn't reality, he wouldn't be snogging with those chicks if he knew I was here. He wouldn't be snogging with those women even if I wasn't here! I was in danger! I almost died! This can't be…

"See how Seifer's enjoying himself? He's practically in seventh heaven without you bitching at him and slapping him around, treating the poor man like dirt."

"That isn't Seifer."

Her thoughts were interrupted by the person she had come to hate so much, that two-bit pimp that was now acting all-knowing and smug with that horrid grin displayed on his face that she so desperately wanted to smack off. But, what was worse that Seifer had turned her head and stared at her while the women continued to fondle him, paying them no attention. Hurt, betrayal, shock, disbelief, they all shot through her, she didn't know what was the truth anymore. She did not know where to turn, who to trust, what to do. Those eyes that now held her gaze, were they really the eyes that had sparkled so mischievously and attractively when they had been together? Those eyes, were they really the ones that she knew? Was that man lying on the bed really the person that had almost gave up his life for her? True, Seifer could be obnoxious and an absolute asshole sometimes, but this…it was too much. He had gone too far, if he really was involved with this whole scheme.

"Quistis, I'm so sorry. I feel horrible, I really do. Those chases and when you saw me beat up and kidnapped, it was all an act. I knew that I couldn't convince you to come here of your own will, especially not if I told you about those tapes. So, throw in a bunch of touchy, emotional shit and instantly you were Jell-O in my hands. It so sad…that you believe all that. I would have thought that the rabid whore I'd slept with was just a bit smarter then that, Babe." He snorted and turned back to one of the other women, pressing his mouth against hers and grabbing onto her breast, fondling it.

"Y-You…" She blinked back the hot tears that stung at her eyes, trying to force herself not to cry in front of him, not to break down and make an even bigger idiot out of herself, "I can't believe this. How could you…"

__

No! He's lying. He has to be, in another minute this will all go back to normal and I'll be trying to flee from here with him and we'll be running side by side, attempting to escape from this hellhole. He can't be on their side. He wouldn't have done that all this time, just to hurt me like this. He just would not lead me right to Blake. But how else would Blake know where I was all those times? How else would he have got me to 'be' with him? What if he offered Seifer such a sum of money that he just wouldn't turn down. Would he honestly do something like that to me, just for some green paper that everyone believes is valuable.

There was an arm that wrapped around her shoulder, Blake's she presumed, she couldn't see because her vision was blurred by the hot droplets of water that stung on her eyes as the shame came and then the numbness in her limbs as she gave into it all. What other reasonable explanation was there? She wasn't ignorant enough to believe that this was all just another part of her dream, all this couldn't be real. It was the cold, harsh reality that had formed groups and thrived in Chicago, Illinois. It was the average life of the pimps, players, and scoundrels that made a living by hurting others and taking advantage of the weaker ones. It was the world that she had feared most but had come to accept, as with all other things in her life.

"Seifer, what is this?"

"I'm surprised you haven't already figured it out for yourself."

"II don't know what you're talking about. This can't be real."

"It's real. We're both here now and there's no more running."

"Don't…you can't…you were all I had left!"

"Is it my fault that Blake pressured me into a deal and," He paused, sitting up on the bed while shoving the girls away, "I saved both of our lives."

"My ass! You save yourself, that's all you ever look out for."

"Would you really want to see me dead?"

"Perhaps you shouldn't ask me that right now." She growled, trying to back up, only to be shoved forward again by her original adversary. He snickered and slammed the door shut after motioning for the other girls to leave.

"You'll have to kill me before I come to work for you." She told him with an icy tone.

"I don't think that will be necessary. Besides, it's only sex." Blake replied.

"That I don't want!"

"I really can't see your huge problem with it…" Seifer scowled, hopping off the bed.

"No, I suppose to you it wouldn't matter." She argued.

"You're right, but come on, there's no other way out of it. You're trapped – there aren't any other choices."

"Then kill me" Quistis demanded.

"Not when I'd be putting such a good body to waste." Blake said, "Besides, I promised Seifer if we got you here then I wouldn't."

"You're an asshole." She retorted, trying to squirm away from him.

"Now Quisty, if you'd just cooperate then this would all go so much smoother. For one, you wouldn't be injured and, for another, maybe you'd enjoy the job."

"Only cold-hearted monsters like the both of you could ever enjoy this kind of smut. I don't have any other options and you know it. My views on the subject aren't important to you anyway. It doesn't matter how much I hate it. All you care about is the money."

"Why so innocent? So…righteous? Why do you bother with virtues or morals when you have to push them aside if you want to get by in this world."

"I wouldn't have to if people like you didn't exist. This is insanity!"

"Don't try to tell me that you've never done anything wrong. You're not a damned saint so don't bother trying to act all defensive." The ex-general said.

"I may not be a saint but I'm certainly against you and everything your kind stand for."

"My _kind_? Do elaborate."

"Exploitation, profiting off of the weak and innocent, murder, prostitution…the list continues. Need I really go on?"

"You don't know anything about us, you little bitch. Grow up, it's a tough, hard life. Kill or get killed."

"Just shut up! What you're saying doesn't justify anything. It's true that I haven't know you very long but in the time that I have, it's been enough to convince me that you're lower then scum. It doesn't take a genius to figure out your horrid ways so don't even bother with that shit about not knowing what it's like. You're the only one responsible for putting yourself in the 'kill or get killed' situation, don't try to tell me otherwise because you _know _what I'm saying is the truth."

"So I suppose it was _justified _when you killed my men."

She sighed, as much as she didn't want to admit it, he had a point. Only a moment ago she had been against his concept and now she felt the same way. However, instead of acting like a hypocrite, Quistis bit her tongue and glared at both of them. Seifer was only a few feet away from her and she wondered what he was going to do. It disturbed her that she was not only outnumbered but trapped as well.

The only person that she had ever put a shred of faith in had turned against her and had been working with Blake the entire time. She was a victim and she hated it. But would her emotions betray her or would she be able to keep a backbone? Only time would tell, and it was running out very quickly."

"It doesn't matter what you claim, we can argue the entire night but you'll never convince me that I should enjoy working for you. I'll always have my values and, though you can force this on me as much you'd like, I'll never be just another one of your whores."

"Fine then, I'm getting tired of this anyway. I think…Seifer should be your first fuck here. He should get to test you out before I start selling you. It'll be easy for him to _rate _you." Her enemy laughed as he pushed her forward and she landed in Seifer's arms.

"Hey…" He protested, something sounded odd in his voice, though she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was, it didn't sound as cold as she expected, "This wasn't part of the deal."

"Hmph, I thought you might enjoy it. Oh well, If you don't want her then I'll have to get someone else to do it. _Somebody _has to take the bitch for a test drive." Blake scowled.

"Alright, alright." He agreed, "I'll do it."

"Ungh." She cried, trying to get away from him as he pulled her closer.

"Resistance really is futile." Blake sighed happily at her growing discomfort when Seifer pressed his lips against hers, roughly, and probed her tongue with his.

__

I hat this! Why, Seifer? Why couldn't you just come through for me this once?! What have I ever done to you to deserve this? Now, you're going to treat me like one of your sluts and you're going to rape me in front of this…this…inhuman bastard! Haven't you already done enough? You have to be even crueler to me? For what? Is there something that you're out to prove here? I want to die, just kill me now and save me from the humiliation, shame, and even more pain, if that's at all possible right now…

She felt him tug away her arms that she was using, in a desperate effort, to cover her body from him. She could only wriggle in uneasiness when he placed his hands on her and fingered her chest, which was practically already exposed due to the skimpy dress. He was so heartless, it seemed, and she shivered as he pressed his body against hers.

"N-no." Quistis mumbled as he pushed her back with him onto the bed.

He ran one hand through her hair while using the other to pin her down underneath him as he climbed on top of her. Seifer reached for the top of her dress to take it off but she tried to claw away his hand with her nails. It only got him angry so that he tore off one of her straps and shoved her hand away. The cheap material fell down to her waist, leaving her half naked as he fondled her body and she thrashed at him.

It was no use, soon his mouth was on hers again and she felt his hand on her leg when he began inching up and getting up to her mid-thigh. In one last, frantic attempt to get him off, she bit his lip and he pulled away for a second, cursing at her while wiping away the blood she had drawn. His hand slid under the dress and was soon farther, it made her want to smack his stupid fingers away.

It was different from the times she had been with him of her own will. He was forcing this on her, doing it against her will. He was her enemy now, just another one of Blake's cronies. Now, he was getting nearer, he would get his way and Blake would come out as the victor in all of this. She had failed, this was it, the end was close, the wheels were set in motion and it was too late to get away.

Seifer was fumbling with his belt, eagerly anticipating what was about to occur, either that or he wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. They were so estranged, he felt like a stranger when he pinned her down, there was no meaning in what they were doing, only the hatred that she felt.

Her attacker was no mounted so that his body weight kept her down and he was pressing Quistis hands back as well, preventing the female from getting away. His tongue, exploring her mouth, kept the blonde from shouting or protesting as he pulled down her fishnets and tore off the boots that also covered her legs. Reaching for his pants, he fumbled with the belt and ripped down the zipper, giving her a moment of freedom when he focused on his clothes.

At that time, she pushed him over on the mattress and flung herself on top of him as they fought. She dug her nails into his arms when he tried to grab her, in response, Seifer took hold of her wrists and held her close as she tried to roll off of him, but couldn't slide away because of his strong grip. In panic, she brought up her knees to ram into his member, yelping out in pain as she accidentally smacked her head against the headboard.

"Seifer, don't do this!" Quistis pleaded with him as he pushed himself onto her.

"Just follow my lead, Love." He whispered, before licking her ear and making her cringe.

He moved his hips back…

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This is it. Please just get off. This isn't you!

One more deep breath…

__

Someone…anyone…help! She closed her eyes and braced herself.

And with that, he thrusted forward. She clenched her fists, expecting to get the familiar sensation she felt when he was inside her, however it didn't come and she realized he hadn't even entered her, even though he was now moving back and forth, up and down vigorously. She narrowed her eyes in confusion, staring at him.

"Like I said, just follow me." He breathed heavily in a barely audible voice. She didn't know what was happening, why he was telling her this now.

Finally, it hit her: he wasn't going to force her to do anything, just telling her to play along. She didn't know why he was doing this if he had an alliance with Blake. Seifer was the one that was responsible for this whole mess, yet when he was supposed to be carrying out an order from his superior, her foe, he was trying not to hurt her. Even though she knew he was still probably against her, she decided to listen to him and moved her body with his, rigidly.

She saw him smile and nod as she moved and threw in her own acting skills as Blake watched, smirking coldly. The plan was working, he thought that they were joined, thought that Seifer was actually raping her as he groaned.

"See, I'm not as horrible as you think." He murmured before slowly placing his mouth over hers for a quick kiss.

"The sooner this is over with, the better."

"Fine, then start your moaning so I can have _my _pleasure."

"You really think I'd moan and call out your name if I was actually being raped?"

"You'd better, or I'll be forced to find out."

"You're sick."

"I know, now shut up or he'll get-"

"Suspicious…ooh yes…" she pretended to moan.

"Mmm." He replied, starting to move faster.

"I can't believe I'm doing something this stupid…Aahh."

"Baby…" The bed began to creak and Blake sighed, checking his watch.

"I really do hate you for this." She began breathing faster before closing her eyes and biting her lip for a moment, "Oh God, Seifer!" She cried out, gasping.

"Love…Quistis…" He grunted loudly, going even harder for a moment before slowing down and she stopped moving with him.

As they laid there, both panting, she frowned in disgust as he pinched her before getting off and sitting up, wiping a few beads of sweat off his forehead.

"Alright, Almasy, what would you give her?"

Quistis got up as well, pulling up her dress in an effort to cover herself because of the annoying broken strap that kept making it fall down as she stood up.

"Hmm…I don't know. She wasn't that great, really."

"Come on, you looked pretty-"

"Nah, she's okay I guess, but I don't think I'd become a return customer if I was _paying _for her. I've had her before, in bed, she just doesn't compare to Denise or," He snorted, "Rinoa."

She felt her face becoming red, though she wasn't quite sure what it was from, the feeling quickly turned to anger as Seifer draped his arm around her. The ex-general scratched his head, wondering what he should do with the girl. At that time, the other blonde had his arms enveloped around her waist and held her close, despite her attempts to push him away while he kissed the top of her head.

"Let me have her." He suggested. She widened her eyes in surprise and squirmed in the embrace.

"What? I thought you said…?"

"I know, but with time I could teach her. She could probably bring in a lot of money if she was trained properly and we gave her a whip. It's really tight, if you get what I'm saying."

Blake scowled but took the idea into consideration as he rubbed his chin and studied them.

"I think I want to try the skank out for myself. Teach her my _own _lesson."

"Hey man-" Seifer sighed, realizing that he couldn't protest, "She's still fresh, don't get too rough."

Reluctantly, he let go of her and gave her a shove towards her opponent.

__

Seifer! Her eyes pleaded with him, suddenly she still wanted to be in his arms. At least when she was with him, all she had to do was pretend.

"Maybe that's what she needs, hmm?" He opened the door and smiled cruelly.

__

Don't let him do this! How can you let this happen? You're right here, stop him! What's wrong with you? Aren't you the same person that wanted to save me just a few seconds ago by not hurting me…?

"Goodbye, Love." He quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her close for a brief moment one more, kissing her hard, violently almost. She responded this time, just for a second because it was likely that it would be the last time she ever felt his lips on hers. Quistis only allowed a single tears to spill down her face as she was led out in the hall, away from him, and he frowned before shaking his head in defeat.


	15. Red Red Rose : Omega

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Red + Red + Rose: Chpt. Fourteen // Omega (The End)

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[Author's Note: okay, I totally went back and edited chapter thirteen so if you haven't read about the part with Seifer & Quistis 'faking it' I suggest you go back or else this entire thing (from this point on) will not make very much sense. Why did I edit it? Because I've finally decided how I'm going to end this. Mind you, there's still a few chapters to go before the ending, actually I think only one or two more, it depends. Thanks for having patience with me, everyone! ^_^]

"Crying really doesn't suit you. It makes the mascara run and then you look like a drenched whore after being stupid enough to walk through a snow storm and then make up with your boyfriend the next day." Blake criticized, "When he was hanging out at the bar with me and having a few drinks, laughing at you the whole time."

"I hate this." She lowered her gaze to the floor, giving into the loss of feeling, allowing him to pull her closer to him and kiss the top of her head. All the while, Seifer was making out with one girl while another, out of the six, was lying beside him now and wrapping her hands around his neck. Her voice came out mono-toned, not sad, not surprised anymore, just cold and distant. She was alone, once again. Nobody had ever truly loved her, she had never really experienced that feeling. Her childhood drifted back to her, slowly but vividly, making her head throb and bringing on a migraine.

"Oh, Hun, don't look so stupid. It could've happened to anyone." He snickered and lowered his mouth to hers, forcing his tongue in her mouth and playing around with hers until she simply could not deal with the repulsion of having that disgusting object in her mouth and quickly pulled away.

"If it makes you feel any better, none of it was your fault. You simply wanted to trust somebody, give yourself to someone and know _love_." He was mocking her and his voice dripped with sarcasm as he said the last part of the insult, pulling down the strap of her dress as she stood, lethargic, still in the doorway. Immediately, she pushed him away, not wanting to take any more of it and not wanting to watch Seifer take part in the despicable behavior any longer. The former general was practically old enough to be her father, had her relative still been alive, and it sickened her people like him existed. But what hurt even more, was that the one person that she had opened up to, had taken part in the whole charade. He had been the one she thought she was able to confide in, the one that she thought was being true when he was in her bed, the one that kept her content and also provided her with a challenge. The one that she really _did _believe she loved. Then this, it was too much to take in at one time, her head felt light, too light for her body, yet she managed to keep her balance long enough to tell them how she felt.

"You're a pervert, you both disgust me to a point where I'd like to bring up the bile from my liver if I did not have anything to throw up. I don't want to see either of you again, but unfortunately I'll probably get raped _again _and then murdered, all within the next few hours. My body will be discarded with in the closest dumpster or perhaps cut up, so that nobody could possibly make out what had used to been. But what's really making these tears fall down my face, is that I have never known anyone who could be so heartless and cruel, in my entire time. Not even the supposed 'God' that took my parents away so long ago and left me stranded in the rain. Now I'm stuck here, against my will, and everything that we have ever shared together has been a lie. Everything that I based us on meant nothing to you, and I hope that nobody else will fall for you, the way I did, Seifer. I pray that nobody will have to know the pain that you've put me through and the next girl you set your vision on will not be this stupid. Stupid enough to believe everything that she is told and allow a person to take advantage of her the way that you did to me."

She shouted that down the hallway toward the person that just a moment ago she had thought to be her friend, turned around, bringing her hand up to her eyes to wipe away the continuous stream, choking back the cry that threatened to escape from her parched, soar throat and ruin whatever dignity she had left.

"So pathetic." Blake said softly, trying to appear sorry even though she could tell that he was practically shaking with laughter inside, "I honestly feel for you. But I've _earned _this Quistis. All the trouble you put me through is finally going to have its rewards." 

Then, without warning, he shoved her and pressed their two bodies together, making her fall to the floor and knock her head against the doorframe before it harshly connected with the hard floor, which only made her head ache more, both from the migraine and the new, hot headache. Before she knew what was happening, he was kissing her, pushing himself up to her, and trying to get her dress down.

__

What the hell is he doing? That asshole's trying to rape me and I'm still trying to figure out what's going on. Has Seifer really turned on me? What if…What if this isn't real? What if none of this is real and I'm still dreaming. I want to go back to sleep, I want to drift off into that inviting darkness. But if I fall asleep, giving into my weakness, God knows what he'll do to me. I have to get away, I have to run. I've got to get out. It's too late for anything else, I have nobody but myself to rely on now, Seifer's with them. He's…my…enemy. As hard as that is for me to accept, if I want to get out of here alive I'm going to have to. There's no time for being weak, somehow I have to push this idiot off me and make it away from the guards without getting shot. And that's after I manage to stand up and avoid getting raped.

Seifer. So you're going to watch as I'm humiliated before all these people…It's not like I have anything left anyway. What's the point of going on? Because I still have my life, even if that's all I have, it's worth enough to me to want to fight for it. 

She tried to push him off her, flailing her limbs and attempting to throw him away. It barely affected him as he continued to take the red, shiny garment off and apply pressure to her shoulders to keep her down. He was practically crushing himself against her torso on the floor, getting closer and closer, his breath felt hot at her neck, but his hands felt cold on her skin, it made her feel sick that this whole thing was happening, that she had been stupid enough to be played.

__

How could you? Ruthless…sick…asshole.

"Get away…" She mumbled, trying to shut out his tongue while pressing her legs together and trying to ignore the feeling of a distinct object against her thigh. She squirmed out from him while, for a moment, he took his hands off to undo his belt, after trailing kisses down to her breasts and un-strapping her bra that she had just managed to do up. Quistis got down on all fours and grabbed onto something, anything, to pull herself to her feet. Clawing at the doorframe, almost in a frenzy, she cried out as he suddenly came up behind her and ripped her dress all the way down to her hips, groping at her chest while inching up closer and closer.

"Rrrgh…" A growl escaped her lips as she continued to struggle to get him away from her, in the background she heard a loud noise and shouting, but barely acknowledged them as she focused on getting him off.

__

What's that? Does it matter? They're probably going to be here any minute and take me away, letting him have his way. Not like this! I've got to get away. I have to surprise him, somehow. It doesn't matter how much an idiot I've been, I have to get out of here alive, if not for Seifer anymore, then for my friends. The ones who've supported me all this time, and tried their best to get me out of this mess.

"Get the fuck off." She shouted, feeling adrenaline pump through her just as he had reached up his hands to her legs to remove her undergarments as she still tried to scurry away.

Realizing that squirming was just not doing anything, she swung her elbow back, as Rinoa had done once in a fight with one of his men, and brought it up to his ribs. Immediately, the man buckled and grunted in pain, cursing at her. She took the opportunity to fall to the ground and spin around so that she was facing him. Then brought her knee up to sharply hit his groin area, feeling that sensitive region easily intake damage as she continued to hit him before forcing herself off the floor and standing up, watching the man curl up, holding his genitalia and issue disgusting threats. She brought her foot up to kick his side once again before smacking his head with her platform boot, however unexpectedly he dodged the attack and rolled over. Not having a clue what was going on in the room, and not bothering to try to figure out why fifty-thousand guards weren't on her back, she bolted, running at full speed, down the hall, swerving around corner and pushing a few scantily clad girls out of the way as she continued to run, gasping the entire time, barely taking in the fact that she was more then half naked and almost passing out with each step.

Her legs felt as though they were bricks, like they were being weighed down or perhaps the sensation was what it felt like to be heavy, but why was she feeling it? In any case, her speed was rapidly deteriorating, she realized that she had been completely petrified the entire time, and was still on the verge of shock, both from the frightening sexual encounter and the fact that Seifer was no longer on her side. It seemed to be hitting her at full force now, just as she had gained somewhat of an upper-hand in a practically impossible fight. However, before she knew what was happening, something hard grabbed onto her ankle just as she had lifted it up to take another agonizing step.

Her balance was immediately thrown off and, though she tried to regain it, she began to fall forward, the carpet was getting closer and closer. Though Quistis had braced herself for the impact, it did not help very much as her body slammed against the ground and then, just as was gasping for air, there was suddenly a heavy mass on top of her. Her enemy rolled her over and brought her closer as she tried kicking away, pounding her boot on the floor and hitting nothing but air. Pain rippled through her body as suddenly there was a loud clapping noise, similar to thunder, and a white hot shock traveled all through her face, she had been slapped, and heavily at that. 

But she didn't have any time to think about her scorching face because now he was dragging her backwards and before she could react, he had thrown himself on her back and pushed her head harshly into the floor, she gasped for air as her breathing supply began to be cut off when he continued to press up to her. Her lungs felt like they would burst, her head felt like it would explode, and her muscles were sore enough to just give out any moment. Through the pain and shame, she continued fighting for her life, wriggling as much as she could to get out from under him. His hands were all over her and she tried screaming at him to get 'the fuck off her'.

"What the hell goes on in your fucking mind? You sick…perverted…bastard." She choked out, wincing in agony as he slammed her head against the ground and cringing as he nearly panted in her ear. 

"Don't tell me you're not enjoying this." He struggled to keep her down as she kicked up at him and attempted to roll over.

"What's wrong with you? You're insane, aren't you?" She gritted her teeth as her head was once again pounded into the floor.

"Care to repeat that, whore?"

"…Anytime." Suddenly, she swung herself over, tumbling out from under him just as she felt him reaching for her lower body again. By now her vision was obscured by the river of blood running down from her forehead, blurring everything and stinging her eyes as it continued to drip down.

Apparently, she had smashed his head against the corner of the wall because now he moaned, rolling over and revealing a large pool of blood where the back of his head had been. She instantly stood up and went to kick him again, but realized that it had all been a horrid trick as he latched onto her foot once again and tried to pull her down with him. In an desperate effort to keep herself from getting back on the ground, she kicked off her shoe, seeing that he had only been holding onto the heel. The boot slid down her leg and she almost fell when it had been ¾ of the way off, however she pushed herself up against the wall to stop herself from tumbling down as Blake rolled backwards as the boot struck his chin from the impact of trying to get it off and hitting himself with it in the process. Not wasting even a precious second, she forced herself away from the wall and began running again, forcing her legs to go faster.

Before she knew what was happening she heard gunshots fire from behind her and threw herself to the floor, just after making it back into the conference room and slamming the door with her foot. The wood ruptured as a speeding bullet ripped through it and shattered a glass unit right after she began crawling under the large table in the center of the room. Pulling up a chair to hide herself, she brought her legs up to her chest and sat, huddled, in a little ball, hiding from them in whatever shadows there were.

It was an enclosed area, no vents, no other exits, and no the window was too far away, plus she had to clue how high up they were and if it would even be weak enough to shatter under her fist. The room was light yet darkness surrounded her under the enclosed area that she hid in, only glancing up for a slight moment when she heard the doors bang open and saw a rather infuriated Blake enter the room. His side was bleeding, she guessed that one of his ribs was fractured from the force of her multiple attacks. He practically panted as he rushed in looking for her.

At the other end of the table she heard him pick up a chair and toss it at the window. There was more shattering of glass along with several angry shouts. Her heart almost stopped when he reached for another chair, and then another, throwing both of them across the room like a maniac. There were no other options then to make a dash for the doors. He was still near the other end of the table and she doubted that he would have the speed or agility to tack her in time or get a clear shot at her with the gun that he had fired earlier. But where would she go after getting out of the room? There had been only one other door in the hallway and she had no clue where it led to.

However, with no alternatives and danger coming nearer every second, she found herself left with no other rational plans. True, it would be over if it was a dead end or there were guards standing on the other side, either way she was stuck. Her head still seemed to feel light and perhaps that was what played a part in her next decision when jumping out from under the table, into the air, ignoring the enemy's surprised look, and slid across the slippery floor, flying towards the doorway.

She could only brace herself when she saw a man's foot come up to meet with her face from the side, knocking back her neck and causing her to sail aback. Her head reeled in pain once more when she smacked into the corner of the hard table. She winced upon feeling a warm, sticky liquid at the back, trying to crawl away from the approaching attacker while Blake stormed over to her from the other side of the large piece of furniture. His face looked insanely angry as he got closer and she attempted to get herself over to the door, failing miserably to escape although she managed to weakly climb to her feet. Her foe reached for her wrist, planning to drag her somewhere, she brought up her other, free arm and knocked his off by the force and speed of her blow. Then Quistis twisted his arm to the side and behind his back, extending her foot out to brutally knock back the other man that had a gun in his hand, aimed at her. His head slammed into the wall and he grunted before sliding to the floor, dropping the weapon. Meanwhile Blake had swung his arm back around while she had been busy with the other enemy. He elbowed her abdomen hard and she buckled before backing up into the hallway, right into the awaiting arms of Seifer.

"Ugh, get away." She moaned through the aching.

"Stop struggling." He said, pulling her down the hall with him and through a doorway, leading into another passage.

"Let go." She tried to grab onto his arms and rip them off but he quickly moved them to her hips, dragging her down the hall while running.

"Just shut up." He ordered, putting one of his hands over her mouth and holding her tightly against his body.

"Mmrf!" Quistis cried out as he gripped his hand around her wounded stomach.

"Sorry." He replied gruffly, "Trust me Love."

Reluctantly, with no other choices, she began to walk in synch with him, allowing herself to be led back. Behind them, Blake raced to catch up, she had no clue what was going on, only that he began firing shots at her. One of them went flying past her arm and another almost landed in her leg. The next thing she knew, Seifer spun her around, gripping her shoulders and pushing her forward, covering her from behind. He swerved to the right, swinging her with them when they collided into the wall as he held her close to him. They made a mad dive for the floor as another shot was fired, by now she was extremely confused as he laid on top of her, rolling over in time to see the crazed man charging at them.

Thinking quickly, Seifer flipped him over by raising up both his feet, but the man managed to catch his balance and landed on his feet, bringing back his foot to knock Seifer out from behind with a sharp kick to the temple. Quistis spun around on the floor and latched onto his leg, hugging it, and brought up her foot, sideswiping the man and knocking him to the ground. He quickly retaliated before she had a chance to get up, by jumping on top of her, pressing against her and crushing her body underneath his form.

"Uh!" She gasped, trying to push him off, seeing that Seifer was lying on the floor motionless not far from her.

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Seifer! Get up! …Why do I want him to get up? Isn't he against me? What's going on?

But there was no time to think because he was now mounted above her while he tried to strangle her. She brought up her hands between his arms, forming an "X" with them and rapidly pulling her arms apart so that he fell forward, making it possible for her to claw at his face. As he reached up to cover his bloodied cheek, she rolled onto her stomach, not expecting him to recover so quickly. He was so close, still trying to get his way with her as he held her down. But feeling this, she slid up her leg on the floor, bent at the knee, swinging it over her in the air and knocking him off.

He landed beside her and tried to grope at her but she quickly rammed her knee up into his lower region then slammed his head into the floor.

It was only then that she noticed Seifer had a trail of blood running down his head and forming a large puddle on the ground. Concerned, she crawled over to where he laid, cradling his head in her arms and feeling hot tears forming in her eyes. She didn't want to check his pulse or breathing, frightened by what she might find.

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Please don't be dead! You can't do this to me. Seifer, get up! You have to get up! Not after all this work, get your ass off the damn floor! I need you. I have to find out why you tried to save me. Open your eyes! We've got to get out of here before that idiot recovers. You can't die on me, we've gotten so far. We can escape, but I'm not leaving without you. It isn't fair! What's wrong with you? I know you can't be dead. Not like this…

"Get up." A male voice told her, it was familiar and not cold like Blake's.

"I can't…He's-"

"Get up." This time he grabbed onto her shoulders and pulled her up, allowing her to lean against him as he held her.

"He'd want you to get away. Go and I'll check if he's still alive."

"You don't know anything!" She accused him," I have no clue what's going on and neither do you. One minute he's against me, the next he's protecting me. I don't even know how to get out of here or how you two managed to find your way in."

"There's no time to explain. Blake's going to wake up any moment. This is no time to be arguing, we're in a real-life battlefield and there's no mercy here. If you try to stay, I can't guarantee your safety, especially with that horny bastard around. Leave now and ask questions later. Go with Rinoa."

She felt a hand on her wrist and looked over to see the brunette as she was pushed over to the other agent.

"Come on. Let's-"

"Not until I know what's going on. I'm not leaving him here."

"We'll explain everything in the car. Look, I feel really bad for doing this but we've got to hurry." She began shoving Quistis down the hall, despite her struggles. She clawed at the girl, yelling at her and trying to get away but her strength overpowered hers as she was lead away.

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I can't go. Not with you dead. What am I without you? What's to live for after all of this is over? I won't leave you here with them. I don't care what you did in the past, hell, I don't even give a fuck if I'm blinded by emotions. I haven't a clue who you're with but obviously my life mattered to you enough to defend me. That's all that matters. Those moments when you blocked the bullets, shielding me and protecting my body with yours. I don't want to forget that.

"I won't!" She exclaimed, throwing herself away from Rinoa's reach and rubbing her head from the pain of having it smacked into the table.

They had made it halfway down when they heard a deep groan come from down the corridor. She turned around to see Seifer sitting up, wincing and cursing. The agent couldn't hold her back anymore as she rushed back to where squall and the blond e male were kneeling. He looked her way and forced a smirk through the pain. Opening his arms, he pulled into him as she wrapped her hands around his neck, burying her head into his chest and allowing him to encircle his arms around her waist. For a moment, time stopped as they were locked in the embrace, his lips brushed over hers and made all her doubts instantly dissipate. She couldn't believe what was happening, she didn't want to remember where she was or the danger they were in. They were finally together again, not caring about anyone else. He trailed kisses all over her face and down her neck, relishing that minute, that time that they had. Quistis allowed him to pick her up as he got to his feet, too weak from both happiness, pain and confusion to get up. She closed her eyes and inhaled his scent, enjoying the feeling of being in his arms once again.

"Don't let go." She mumbled, her head still pressed into his upper torso as she held onto him and hoped the world would stop swimming.

"I'm so sorry, Love. I never meant for any of this to happen." He told her, breathing a deep sigh of relief at having her close again.

She opened her eyes and pulled her head slightly away to see what was happening, confused by the shouts of the others.

"Tell me. Tell me all of it sometime?" She asked of him, it was a simple question but demanded such a lengthy answer to satisfy her.

They entered a room and the other two closed the doors behind them, slamming them before Blake or any of his men could enter. They looked around and took in the place. It was a large bedroom, with a huge four-poster bed and multiple pieces of furniture decorated the interior. It seemed to be set up perfectly, except there were a few troubling things that made her sick as she glanced around, still being carried by Seifer.

There were ropes and chains that hung off the bed, various disgusting objects that had uses that she could only guess at, along with those things there was a video camera set up with a television set not too far away. A large window was covered by drapes and there was another doorway that led into a bathroom a few feet away.

"What is this place?" Quistis asked him, worry was evident in her voice as he set her down on the bed while the other couple remained by the door, securing the area and thinking of a plan to get them out.

"This place is…his bedroom." Seifer explained, frowning when he saw her repulsed expression as she backed away from him, suddenly remember what would have taken place earlier, had they not gotten away.

"How would you know? Why were you in that other room with those people earlier?"

"You want to know everything? The truth, even though it'll hurt you."

"I want to know why I've been going through hell these past few weeks and found you conspiring with the enemy." Her eyes begged him to tell her and sighed, realizing nothing else would satisfy her.

"You'll hate me by the time I'm finished but if this is really what you-"

"Seifer, get to the point." Squall said, as though he knew something that she didn't.

"Fine." He replied icily, glaring at the other man, "I will…

It's the truth that I was in on this plan and selling video tapes with you in them. Everything that Blake told you was not a lie. But now I'll explain what happened, why I was here and about the kidnapping. I've been working with him for a long time, until I became involved with you. I loved our nights together, even if they were a dreadful sin because I was profiting off of them by setting the video camera up in your room. However, when our relationship became deeper, I found myself looking at my life and being sickened by it. Slowly, I started to grow distant from Blake and I began to do my own job on the corners. I still brought in money by it and he didn't have a clue…Until he found me one night and started threatening me, becoming angry with my decision to leave his business. By that time, I had begun to dislike the man extremely and I made every effort possible to keep him away from you when he found out about the tapes and viewed them all. He ordered me to get you to go to his penthouse with him, but I turned him down, knowing that he had other things in mind. He would have taken you to work for him and help you a prisoner, so I refused to go along with him. That displeased him, obviously, and so he got angry."

"Seifer was looking out for you and trying to get out of Blake's group but was being held captive." Squall added.

"The threats became more violent until he had people with guns chasing after me and trying to harm you. He even went so far as to send one of his men after you to take you back to his place, that night a long while ago at the Opium, when you were attacked in the alley."

"We had been monitoring the entire situation but couldn't step in quite yet without that idiot noticing that we were working with you." Rinoa told her, motioning for Seifer to continue.

"Later that night, after I took you home and left your place, I was jumped and shoved in the back of a car, being taken back to Blake's place where he tried to kill me, had I not started working for him again. I was being constantly followed and watched to make sure that I was carrying out that bastard's orders. I was sucked in again and he had me exactly where he wanted me. He was giving me insane amounts of money and he knew I couldn't turn him down because he tracked my progress and had me in a bind."

"You were…being forced to work for him?" She asked.

He nodded and continued with the story.

"Before I knew it, I was in over my head. Blake had committed several crimes, almost countless ones, over time and they were beginning to catch up with him and worry me. I wasn't quite sure how far he would go to have you and I knew the asshole was lying when he told me you were no longer of interest to him. When I found out about his plan to kidnap you, I confronted him about it, he only responded by making matters worse when he had his men attack me and trap me inside this hellhole. Eventually I thought of a plan, but it was an uncertain one with no other options available."

"Blake made him act hurt during those times you saw him briefly, in an attempt to draw you out." Rinoa explained.

"He only agreed to let me out if I helped him, however he gave me his word that you wouldn't be getting hurt. If I didn't comply with his plan he would have killed you, Love. So as much as I hated him for lying to me about bringing pain to you, when I found out, I knew it was better then losing you completely so I continued to follow his instructions. When he told me that he was sick of losing all his men to you and your 'body guards' I tried to persuade him to just forget about it, however he was mad. He wanted you so badly that he came up with the plan to take you in your sleep. Immediately, I refused him, saying he was taking it too far and, after seeing all your injuries, I didn't trust him anymore."

"Then he was holding you here because he knew you would do whatever it took to keep me safe?" The other blonde asked, laying back on the bed for a moment.

"Precisely, he had me stuck, but when I rejected his kidnapping plan he knew I didn't believe his threats about killing you anymore, I was calling his bluff. Unfortunately, there was no other choice but to remain here because he would've killed me if I'd acted any other way. Blake told me about his plans then, knowing there was nothing to do, and explained that if I didn't want you to be in any 'discomfort' then I would have to act out the final phase of the plan, which was betrayal. I did it only because I had my own ideas, and that was this escape."

"You have to understand that, though he did a few crimes of his own, that other man was responsible for most of his actions. He had Seifer under his control and tried to tempt him as well." Rinoa finished.

"When the plan went awry, we decided to go with an emergency procedure to get you and Seifer out of here." Squall said, "We came through the vents."

"Seifer…" She replied, staring at her knee which had a large, dark scab on it from one of her ordeals.

"I didn't have a choice." He yelled to her, standing up quickly and pacing around the room, bringing a hand up to his head, "I didn't mean for any of it to happen."

"Don't come near me." She whispered, turning to him to meet his gaze as she stared into those eyes that were filled with sorrow now.

"Fine. I'll stay as far away from you as possible." The threw up his hands in the air, "Just fuck it."

__

Why? Why did you have to work for him in the first place? If you really cared, why did you even start selling the tapes in the first place? If I meant anything to you then why did you do this to me? Did you feel pain too or did you even give a damn?

I know that he wanted to get out it and it was his fault for being sucked in, so why do I still feel like this? I can't trust him anymore, he's just as bad as that stupid former general. He doesn't care who he hurts or what the consequences are. All that matters to him is the money and luxuries. Why can't I just give up already and face the facts?

Do I want to be in denial? What's going to happen now? I can't be with him anymore, there's something missing now. I'll only get taken advantage of again, he can tell me he's changed a thousand times but it won't make a difference. It'll never be the same.

It was almost too much for her to take in as she pieced things together, trying to make sense of the whole situation. Quistis was unsure of what to think of Seifer. He had kept many things from her and was partially responsible for the mess. He understood when she shrank away from him when he got closer to the bed. She didn't want to think about their relationship now, all that mattered was getting out alive. It wouldn't be long before Blake and his men made it in and they were trapped, like a cornered rabbit, in the room. She stood up in an effort to get away from Seifer, walking over to the couple that stood at the entrance, guarding it.

"What will we do now?"

"Are you ready to go on? You understand everything?" Squall asked, running a hand through his hair and sighing.

"I want to get away from here." She confirmed, refusing to look back at Seifer as he walked over to where she stood. For a moment she thought he would place his arms around her, but they remained by his side, though it angered him to accept her scorn toward him.

"We can take the vents out, the same way we got in. I'll go first, followed by you, then Seifer, and Squall will cover us from the back. It's a tight fit but we can make it if we crawl."


	16. Red Red Rose : Intensity

****

Red + Red + Rose : Chpt. Fifteen // Intensity

She nodded to the brunette and followed her over to the bed. Rinoa climbed up and played around with a plate on the ceiling, just as the first shots were fired from outside in the hallway. A bullet came flying through the door, missing them by a few feet. Rinoa worked frantically with the metal piece. Finally, exasperated, she took out her gun and shot it down. She peeked up to take a look around inside, then nodded to everyone before lifting herself up. Quistis followed her as planned, ignoring Seifer's attempt to help her as she pulled herself into the confined space behind Rinoa. Seifer was next and he hopped up, positioned not too far behind her.

Two more bullets were fired and she prayed Squall was okay down there. The blasts were followed by hard, banging noises as the enemy tried to get in. She heard Squall quickly struggle to get up and get inside as they began moving quickly. Just then the door in the other room was broken down and Blake, along with his men, trampled in.

They continued padding rapidly through the small shaft, everyone trying to be as quiet as possible, not wanting to alert the enemy. She could hear some rattling behind them as another person tried to climb up. It was impossible to see what was happening. All she could tell was that there was labored breathing and several loud thudding noises followed by a bang.

"What's going on?" Rinoa shouted, becoming worried at the sudden disturbance and forgetting about being silent.

"There's someone else in here." Seifer yelled back to her.

"Shit, we've got to hurry. Is Squall alright?"

"I can't tell." He replied.

There were a few more pounding noises and then the entire vent shook, knocking them all on their stomachs. She heard Squall and the enemy grunting while they tried to tackle each other.

"Squall…? Answer me, are you okay?"

More shaking was felt as the two fought. Rinoa wondered if it was Blake he was fighting with and if he had a gun.

"Give me Quistis and Rinoa!" The attacker demanded. She knew immediately who it was.

"You've got to get out, try to push past me." The female agent told Quistis, "Seifer get her away to safety." She ducked down and made it possible for them to try to squeeze ahead of her.

"Why are you staying?" Quistis asked.

"I have to help Squall."

"I can get Blake off of him. You two go up ahead." Seifer argued.

"You don't have a gun though, I do."

"If you fire that thing in here, it'll bounce." He protested.

"Just go! We don't have time to be bickering or we'll get trapped in here." She ordered, trying to press herself up to one side.

"Forget it. I'll just go up in front." Quistis pulled her body past Rinoa's.

"Wait, you can't go by yourself." The agent objected.

"I'll be fine." She began crawling forward, taking up the lead while the other two argued and, in the back, Squall fought with Blake.

Quistis had no idea where to go. All she saw was the inky blackness that surrounded her as she moved north. It was cold, the metal interior felt like ice against her bare skin and she shivered. The noise behind her began to fade and soon the beating of her heart along with her quick intakes of air was all that she could hear. It didn't matter that they weren't following and she didn't have any other protection. She no longer trusted Seifer, trying not to depend on anyone. True, she was attempting to hold back her emotions, not wanting to think of what had taken place earlier.

There was too much going on, too many questions, and it was painful to think that Seifer was yet another person who had been out to hurt her at one point. Her head throbbed as the vent shook violently again and there was an ear-piercing noise as a gun was fired. Pushing everything out of her mind, she forced herself to keep going, scared of what she might see if she turned around.

__

Seifer…Squall, are you alright? Why am I doing this? Why aren't I back there helping them? I'm just blindly following orders, I don't care what my opinion is on these things. All I want is to get out of here, I want this to be over. So I'm running away from everything. I don't want anything to do with this. All I desire is for everything to be alright, for everyone to make it out of here alive. I should be back there helping but instead I'm a coward so I'm trying to get away-

She didn't even have time to finish thinking because just then the metal structure tremored again. This time there was a loud rumbling noise afterwards as dust began to rise from the floor, cutting off her vision and making her gasp for air. A strong musty smell filled the air as it continued to swing back and forth. Quistis tried to grab onto something, anything for support as she felt the entire thing begin to collapse. Her scream for help was only suppressed by the coughs for air as the dust seemed to enclose around her, causing her eyes to sting and entering her lungs as she inhaled, desperate for oxygen. The noise was almost deafening and she winced as it only seemed to get louder as seconds passed. Her body was flung hard against the floor as it vibrated again and this time the earth crumbled beneath her. 

There was only air beneath her as she fell, covering her head protectively with one hand while her other reached up to grab onto something to stop her from falling. Her nails scratched against the metal as her hand slid down the vent. Finally the falling stopped as she grabbed on to the edge of the vent Her figure dangled down from the ceiling above the large conference room. She tried to pull herself up but could not find the strength as she desperately kicked her legs, searching for some kind of stable material beneath her. The blonde gasped as her hand began to slip, getting closer to the edge. Soon she would fall to the floor and there wouldn't be anyone to help her. Another knock to the head and she knew she'd pass out.

Her arm ached and she heard several noises from outside the hall. She attempted swinging her legs back up but they only brushed what remained of the vent as she hung down. The sounds from the hallway were footsteps, she realized, and frantically reached up with her other hand for something to hold onto as she was about to fall. She felt something tear in her palm as it was slashed against a sharp point when attempting to grab hold of something. A red, sticky liquid dripped down her wrists and a firey pain spread through her body as she enclosed her hand around the knifelike object, still in panic to hold on. Every nerve in her body was standing on edge as three men clad in trenchcoats and carrying guns ran into the room.

__

Don't let go. Got to get up. Help!

Their guns were instantly aimed at her as they got closer, one climbed up on the table and tried to grab at her feet while she kicked at him and gritted her teeth through the agony. Another one of the guys at the back tried shooting at her but she swerved to the side and threw her feet in the air to avoid the bullet. They were all closing in on her and she couldn't keep the man on the table back for too much longer. She felt herself getting closer to falling completely. If she did, they would trap her and immediately lead her away, so she continued to fight for her life as she dangled down.

Just as she thought she would fall, a strong hand enclosed around her wounded palm and she gasped out in pain and relief. Quistis looked up to see Seifer gripped onto her, lying on his stomach and trying to pull her up. He gritted his teeth and now had her arm in both hands. The enemies saw this and one took hold of her leg, tugging it down. Her shoulder felt like it would be torn out of the socket as she was jerked in both directions. Seifer growled and tugged harder, wincing as he attempted to use all his strength to get her up and not let go. The other foes rushed over to where she was hanging, grabbing onto her other leg as they outnumbered her ally. She felt his hold slipping and looked up to him, her eyes desperate.

"I won't let you fall." He promised.

Though her legs felt like they would be ripped off any moment, she forced herself to push them out, into the abdomens and ribcages of the men, using her foot with the platform shoe to dig into one man's torso as she shoved him back. The attackers had all been near the edge of the piece of furniture and when one began to lose his balance, so did the other. They tried to pull her down with them but Seifer held onto her tight as she swung the other opponent backwards. He lost his grip on her leg as he fell, slamming his head onto the floor. At that moment, she felt herself being thrusted as she was dragged up, into the dark, broken vent. Two more men appeared, followed by Blake. She quickly hid her foot from view so that they wouldn't try to attack her and Seifer again.

The couple were both panting from the struggle as Quistis held onto Seifer and breathed a small sigh of relief. Her heart had been pounding and her muscles felt weak from the struggle. Slowly, she brought her head up to meet his gaze in the dark as he stared at her, wondering what to do, what to say.

__

He saved me. Was he really out to get me in the first place? Does this mean I can rely on him again? I would've been taken away again if it hadn't been for him, rushing to grab onto him, refusing to let me fall. He didn't even lose confidence when he saw that it was a losing battle. He wouldn't leg go, like he promised. So, if what he said was true, then he honestly did never mean to hurt me at all. He gave up his freedom so that I could live. He would've died for me. But will he continue to be loyal? What if he turns again? 

From below them, she could here Blake cursing and threatening his partners. His voice shook in anger as he continued barking out insults.

"You're useless. GET OUT!"

"Sir, we tr-"

"That's an order. Get the fuck out! I ordered you, as a direct command, not to fire your weapons. Yet, you shot at her! You…imbeciles! If she dies, I'll murder you all, myself. NOW GO FIND THEM, AND IF I SEE YOU SHOOTING AGAIN, YOU'LL PAY FOR IT WITH YOUR LIVES!"

Seifer shook his head in disgust as they could be heard walking away. He slowly released her hands as the room became quiet and they laid there, resting from the intense ordeal. She could barely make out her hand in the darkness but saw that it was bleeding freely and bit her lip, trying not to think about it. She felt him take her wrist and there was a ripping noise, as he continued to hold onto her, and then a soft piece of fabric was wrapped around the cut. She gazed at him, wondering what he was thinking as he softly took her hand in his and gently kissed the tips of her fingers before slowly setting it down. He stared at her and she continued to look back at him. It seemed to be a long while until she broke eye contact with him. She looked away, not sure of what she should think.

"Thank you." Her voice came out softer then the usual harsh, authoritative tone that she used.

"What happened to not wanting me near you?"

"I don't know. Perhaps I was wrong."

"Think you can forgive me for hurting you so much? I don't. You should forget about this, move on without looking back. We're almost out now and there's not too much time left."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that…I'm going to remain here after I get you out."

"Why? Come with me. I may not be able to forget about your mistakes so easily, but I'd hate it if you stayed here."

"The way you hate me right now, eh?"

"Don't do this, it doesn't help anything."

"I know where I belong and it certainly isn't with you, not after all I've done."

"………" She was at a loss for words.

"I despise the idea too, but I'd loathe myself even more if I went with you, Love."

"You're condemning yourself for crimes that you didn't commit. It's Blake's fault that all of this happened, you were only his pawn. In time-"

"We don't have any time left." He quickly placed his lips on hers for a brief moment, she knew that it would probably be the last time they would ever be together like this and responded, hungrily to the kiss. He ran his hands through her hair and she softly traced the contours of his face with her fingers. They stayed like that for a moment, almost getting lost in the embrace, before he pulled away and blinked open his eyes, just as Squall appeared behind them.

"You guys ready to go?"

"Where's Rinoa?" Quistis asked, becoming concerned when she opened her eyes to see no trace of the other girl.

"She's coming."

"You left her back there after she stayed behind to help you?!"

"Whatever. She told me she'd catch up in few seconds."

"So you just let her remain back there without any protection or back up? Squall, she could be in trouble!"

"Hey, she wanted me to-"

"We've got to go back." Quistis ordered, challenging him to protest by taking on her commanding tone again.

"There's no time. Blake's going to be up here in the vents again any minute now and he's already sent people up the guard the exits. If we go back now then-"

"Listen to me Squall, I almost died just now because I went off by myself. If it hadn't been for Seifer pulling me up when the vent collapsed, I wouldn't be here right now. She needs help, even if she's not in trouble we can't just leave a team member behind."

"Just keep moving." He demanded, raising his voice.

"We can't let Rinoa get left back there. I'm going back to find her, you guys go up ahead." Seifer interrupted.

"Seifer…" She trailed off, narrowing her eyebrows in worry.

"I'll be fine, I have a gun." He turned around and quickly pushed his way past Squall who, in surprise, didn't have a chance to stop him.

"Wait!" She called after him, but it was already too late because he was out of her reach.

__

That idiot. If he thinks he can prove anything by going back for Rinoa alone, he's wrong. Blake could have her and it might be a trap. We've got to help them. Will Squall agree? Who cares if he agrees, it's my choice if I want to help him or not. Honestly though, I've never known him to be selfless…I suppose he really has changed. Changed from being a cold asshole to somewhat of a human being. Why is he staying back then? He won't accomplish anything by it and if he really wanted to help then he would get out with me.

"Come on, are you just going to sit there like a dolt or are you going to help us?" Quistis asked, meeting his gaze.

"Going back won't accomplish anything. Rinoa's fine by herself, she's a trained agent."

"Everyone needs an aid sometimes, even though you may be able to get along fine alone, not everyone is the same way."'

"Why are you doing this? You don't want to go back either."

"No, I owe Rinoa a lot. She's saved my life countless times and if this is the one way that I can repay her, then I'll be glad to do it at any cost."

"You're going to die if you keep that attitude up. Rinoa doesn't expect anything in return for helping you. She wants us to get out and we can't alter the mission like this. If you're right about it being a trap then we'll be stuck too."

"So it's fine if they're caught back here, as long as we get out alive? I can't do that, I can't just leave knowing that they're back there and their risking their lives. Whether or not you're coming with me doesn't matter. Now move so I can get by."

"Fine." He started moving forward instead of trying to let her get by and she followed him as they rushed back, trying to be as fast as possible.

"Can you see anything?" She asked, fearing his answer.

"No, not yet." She heard his deep breathing and saw that he was worn out, despite his lack of showing it.

"Are you alright."

He grunted a positive response and maintained the quick pace as they scurried on.

"Do you think that-"

"Just forget the questions. We won't know until we find them and presuming things doesn't help either. If you don't come to expect anything, at least you'll never be let down."

"......Is that really how you want to live? Just drifting day to day without any expectations or hopes, only preparing yourself for the worst. Being pessimistic is one thing, however living a life without meaning is another."

"What do you define meaning as?"

"Emotions, thoughts, dreams, adventures…"

"Living is about breathing and not getting killed. That's all that matters."

"How can you say that? You've never even opened up to anyone! Hell, you and Rinoa have known each other for so long and you can't even touch her or tell her how you feel. It's so obvious that it's painful. Despite your attempts at covering your feelings, eventually you'll have to accept that everyone needs a mate to depend on. If it means confronting your fears, then do it. Don't you ever want to get things off your chest or help people with their problems?"

"Let everyone deal with their own problems, you can go talk to a wall if you think that this will get some kind of response out of me. I've made up my mind."

"Then what was it that we shared?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Squall, you kissed me that night that Rinoa stormed out. You were feeling lonely, worried, frightened even."

"It didn't mean anything."

"Why do you have to be so frustrating. All I'm trying to do is-"

"I can deal with my own conflicts. Stay out of it."

She heard the rising anger in his voice and sighed, still dissatisfied with his decision but realizing yelling at him wouldn't do any good. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking at that moment. Perhaps he hated her or maybe he was fighting back his feelings and battling an urge to open up. It was his damned guard that was always raised. It prevented him from getting even remotely close with anyone, even the brunette which he cared about yet refused to admit. She wanted to know why he was like that, why he was so scared of letting people into his life, what caused him to be so secretive. If only he would say something and if only he would trust her.

"I think I can see them." He told her, breaking the silence that had momentarily set in.

"What? What are they doing?"

"I can't tell. All I can make out is Rinoa's duster. It looks like she's…" He squinted, "Lying down."

"Lying down? Is she hurt? Where's Seifer?"

Upon closer inspection, he told her that only the brunette's duster was in a heap on the floor. However they were nowhere in sight. Quistis bit her lip, wondering what it meant, hoping that they were alright. There appeared to be tears in the fabric, as though someone had been clawing at her. It worried her as they continued crawling and getting closer and closer to the answer that they were looking for. In the distance, a faint, deep male voice could be heard, it sounded angry, almost infuriated. Quistis couldn't make out whose it was though as she strained to make out what the person was saying. She could tell that Squall, too, was trying to decipher the shouts, narrowing his eyebrows in concentration.

"You damned slut, I should kill you right now!" The male voice said. 

"Fuck you, you don't know anything about me. And you're one to talk about sluts, seeing as you practically own hundreds of them." It was the sound of a female one.

"Stay the hell away from her!" A second, male spoke up.

"And you – Traitor – I can't wait till I see your dead corpse on the ground! You and that other bitch have caused me more trouble then you're worth." 

"I can't believe you'd do something like this! For crying out loud, I'm your bloody daughter!"

"I don't have a daughter, I have a whore who pretends to be an angel."

"Just shut up! You don't know anything about me or the life I live. You're the one that's always been against us, with all the crimes you commit. I don't even know who you are anymore."

Suddenly, there was a loud thud and then a blood-curdling scream as more noise came and the vent vibrated. 

"Touch her again and die!" The second male threatened.

"You're not the one in control here so stay the fuck out of this. I'll deal with you later."

Just then there was the deafening sound of an explosion as a gun was fired and grunts could be heard, followed by a banging noise and the shattering of glass.

"Squall…" Quistis whispered, her mouth agape. They had come to a small opening in the vent and the agent could see what was happening in the room below, the place that Seifer had been before when Blake showed him to her.

"Shit." He said in a barely audible voice, watching the events unfold.

"I'll kill you!" Blake yelled, his eyes were wide and pupils dilated as he lunged at Seifer, a gun in hand.

"Please stop! You can't do this! SEIFER!" Rinoa pleaded, trying to stop the two men from fighting.

Another loud sound and angry shouts were heard as the enemy delivered a hard blow to Seifer's stomach.

"You've gone too far this time, asshole." Seifer yelled, shoving Blake back into a wall, fueled by adrenaline.

The older man responded by firing at him as he charged forward. The blonde male threw himself to the ground as a bullet soared past him, going straight through the door.

By that time Squall was desperately trying to lift the plate that was stopping him from getting out of the vent. Quistis gasped as Rinoa tried to grab the gun out of Blake's hand, leaping at him and knocking him into the bed. They both landed hard on the floor as she tried to wrestle it out of his hands. First she was on top, tugging at it desperately, he shoved her off and pinned her to the ground as she struggled underneath, rolling out from under him and tackling him onto his stomach.

Seifer rushed up attempting to hold him down with the girl, but he was too strong and flung both of them off him. The two were both panting and trying to get up before Blake could fire at them again. However their enemy had other plans in mind and raced toward Seifer, ramming his foot at full force into the man's ribcage and causing him to keel over in pain. Blake started pounding the wounded man with his fists, blindly punching his abdomen as Seifer groaned in pain.

"Hurry!" Quistis demanded as she helped Squall with the barrier, tugging on it as hard as she could.

"It's busted, there's no use." He said, taking out a gun.

"No! Their right under there, you could shoot one of them."

"They're going to die anyway if we don't get down there." He aimed the weapon and she closed her eyes, unable to watch as he shot down the plate and there were cries from below.

Squall ripped it off, tearing apart the metal and threw it aside. She looked down, seeing them all one the floor, but relief washed over her when she realized none of them had been wounded. It was only then that the male agent realized that the opening was too small for him to fit through and he cursed in anger.

"We've got to do something!"

She could see Blake and Rinoa getting up. But Seifer was still on his hands and knees. Then the attacker kicked him again, this time to the side of his face and he was thrown down again. Seeing this, Rinoa surged at her adversary, jumping in the air to swing her legs up and kick him twice in the chest area. Blake flew back but she wasn't finished yet, racing up to finish off the move with a roundhouse kick and two hard punches to the face. A thin stream of blood dripped from his mouth and he looked at her, his eyes burning with hatred as she tried to get him down again. However he was expecting the move and counterattacked by raising up his legs to flip her over, making her body slam to the ground and slide over to where Seifer had just gotten up.

Blake targeted the other male for his next assault, grabbing a chain off the bed and throwing it at him. Seifer ducked to avoid the flying weapon and grabbed onto Blake's leg, making the older male stumble to the ground and accidentally land on top of him.

Quistis knew that Rinoa was knocked out cold so now the two fighters were one-on-one, Blake having the advantage over Seifer because he was pressing the other man to the ground.

Finally, seeing the enemy coming up behind him, Seifer dodged to the side and threw himself down on the floor as the crazed man fired at him. The shot rang out and Quistis' ears seemed to explode as it flew through the air. She closed her eyes, afraid for Seifer, and took a shaky breath while the bullet slammed into a wall. Not wanting to open her eyes, she worried that Seifer would be dead or seriously hurt. Yet waiting any longer to see what happened would be agony.

"He's fine." Squall told her roughly and finally managed to make the opening wide enough for them to fit through. The agent leapt down while Blake was reloading, landing on his feet and hopping off the bed.

"That idiots lucky. I won't have to make his death long and painful."

"Come on!" Squall shouted from down below, motioning for Quistis to jump down as well.

"He's got a-"

"Just hurry." He grabbed onto her legs and pulled down, slowly gripping onto her hips then supporting her waist as she dropped.

Meanwhile, Seifer was on his feet, and he lunged at the enemy, trying to tackle the other man to the floor. He gripped onto the former general's arms, blocking the clear shot to protect Quistis and attempting to shove Blake back. By the time Quistis was down, the foe had pushed her defender away and tried to point the weapon at him. However, her ally latched onto it in an effort to get the gun away and grabbed his wrist, shaking it out of Blake's hand.

She stood on the bed, still catching her balance while Squall rushed over to aid their teammate that almost had the gun. Seifer was desperate, frantic to avoid getting shot but still wanted to unarm Blake. The two men battled, both panting from the effort. Their enemy could see Squall stealthily approaching and he knew he'd be outnumbered if he allowed another person to join the fight. Especially someone that was armed.

Quistis jumped off of the bed, quickly running over to where Rinoa laid motionless, in a heap on the ground. She watched for breathing, closely eyeing the agent's movements while checking for a pulse and searching for any bleeding or injured limbs. Her heart was beating, her chest rose and fell, there didn't even appear to be any serious wounds, aside from her head that was swollen. Yet, as she tried to rouse the girl from her sleep, nudging and shaking her awake, Rinoa continued to remain in the death-like state. Worry began to creep up on Quistis as she bit her lip, pleading the brunette to awaken. Panic set in. Rinoa was in a comatose state and would not wake up. Her body was stiff, her breathing was shallow, and her heartbeat was slowing down by the moment.

But Quistis barely had time to think about that when suddenly there was a thunderous banging noise behind her as another gun shot rang out. Shattering glass was heard. As she tried to spin around to see what was happening, she cried out, feeling a cold, hard object suddenly dig into the back of her neck. Her body froze. She was paralyzed in fear and shock as the person pushed it further into her skin. Quistis winced, attempting to stop herself from moaning in pain. Dizzying thoughts spun through her mind when she felt him tug her hair to make her stand up. Reluctantly, she moved away from her friend and raised her hands in the air, signifying her surrender.

He soon had her in a head lock and pressed the gun against her temple before turning around to face the other two startled men. Seifer cursed and tried to come bounding at her captor. Squall grabbed onto his arm and stopped him from doing anything rash as Blake increased the pressure of the weapon on her head.

__

You guys are going to have to leave me behind here. He's got us in a bind if we stay. You can still get out if you grab Rinoa and run. He's at a disadvantage because he has the gun aimed at me, so he won't have a chance to fire at you! Go! Why stay here? He's not going to release me and you'll be risking your lives. It's pointless to try to negotiate with a madman. There's no reason for you to stay. Even if you tried to get me out, there's no guarantee…Perhaps one day you could come back for me…at least I won't die.

"It won't do her any good if we're dead. Calm down." Squall growled to Seifer.

"Well, well well. Looks like I finally have everyone where I want them. It's about damned time you started following orders or Quistis would be nothing more then a corpse on the floor."

"Fuck you! If she dies, you die!" Seifer shouted back at him.

"Don't be so sure. Just shut up and do what I say. You," He pointed to Squall, eyeing the gun at his waist, still in the holster, "Drop your weapon or I'll shoot."

Squall didn't move, he just stared at Blake, challenging him to fire. Quistis winced as the foe grabbed her hair once again and shoved back her head so that the gun was better positioned.

"Let go…" She wshipered helplessly as she saw his finger tighten around the trigger, "Please don't do this."

"I'll do as I please. You're in no position to make requests! If your friend doesn't drop his gun, I'll lodge this bullet so far into your brain that-"

"Enough." The teen dropped his pistol and kicked it over to where Blake stood, smiling victoriously.

"Alright, now you're going to lean down and pick that up Quistis. Make one wrong move and I'll kill you on the spot."

Slowly, Quistis bent down, connecting her gaze with Squall's and communicating with him through the stare. She wanted, so badly to throw it over to him, but he protested, shaking his head. The situation was too dangerous. She knew it as well, but didn't want to give in so easily. Seifer clenched his hands into fists, not wanting her to get hurt or put her life at risk even more. She sighed and cautiously picked up the gun, agonizing over the right decision, aching for her teammates to get out safely.

She had it in her hands, still crouched down, still able to toss it away and save her friends.

"Come on bitch, get up."

"How do I know that you won't shoot me anyway? If i have to working you then I'd rather die. What's the difference?"

"Just pass it to him." The male agent instructed, glancing worriedly on Blake's grip on weapon as his hand tensed around it, becoming angry.

"Do it, Love." Seifer told her, backing up their other ally. 

"See, they _want _you to come work for me."

"Shut up, Blake." Squall ordered.

"Na, I think it's time that everyone else shut up. Now, here's the deal : if you want Quistis to live, you're both going to sit down on that bed over there and wait for some of my men to come get you and escort you out. I think that's a pretty fair deal. However, if you breathe one word of this to anyone, I'll have this whore over here spitting out blood through her head."

"There's no way in hell that you're just going to take Quistis." Seifer argued.

"Either I take her and she lives or you come one step further and I shoot."

She had the revolver in her grasp and her hands began to tremble as she held it, not wanting to harm anyone. All eyes were on her. What ever she did would determine their fate. It was nerve-racking and all she wanted to do was throw away the stupid weapon and run. However that would be impossible.

"Alright, now all you have to do, Quistis, is point that gun at Squall and tell him to go over to the bed." Blake ordered.

She shook her head vigorously and fought back the hot tears as the enemy's rifle was pressed deeper into her head.

"I want you to point that gun at him, I'm not asking you to pull the trigger."

"I can't…" She tried to protest, choking on the words.

"Now, you know what that means, don't you? That means I'm going to have to kill you."

"Please…I'll do anything else, just don't make me-"

"This is for the best, I'll try not to make it painful…"

"Do it. Aim it at me, Quistis." Squall demanded.

"I don't want to hurt anyone." She managed to whisper.

"Better me then you. Now just follow orders."

"One…" Blake began the countdown.

"Why are you making me do this?" She cried.

"Forget about why, just-"

"Two…"

"I don't want you to die." Seifer told her, his voice was filled with emotion.

"I couldn't live with myself if I hurt either of you."

"Come on!" Squall told her, frantically.

"Thr-"

She closed her eyes and forced her arms to train the gun at Squall, breathing deeply and blinking furiously. Her heart was practically pounding out of her chest as she silently prayed that Blake wouldn't fire. It required all her concentration to hold the gun steady while her hands began shaking even more. Squall and Seifer slowly began backing up, going over ot the bed and duplicating her previous move, also lifting their hands in the air. Their foe laughed at this and glared at them evily, still holding Quistis close.

All hope was lost, he had them in his custody and had taken one of them hostage. It was nearly impossible to find a solution to the problem, given the small time limit, before his men would begin to show up. By that time, Squall and Seifer were both sitting on the bed, attempting to think up some kind of desperate plan that would at least get the females out of harm's way. There was no telling what he had planned for them, although they were guessing that the girls wouldn't stand a chance. Especially since Rinoa was already wounded. They despised the agent.

Blake slowly forced Quistis forward, over to where the two other men were sitting. She staggered, still balancing the gun while beads of sweat began to form at her temple.  
"Now, I know this is going to be hard for you, Hun, but you're going to have to go with the men that come to the door so that they can get you cleaned up and ready for work."

She, realizing his betrayal, cursed.

"Y-You told me that-"

"I know, I know. But, you see, I can't let them just leave here alive. Don't worry, I'll try to minimize the pain since you've been so, how can I put it…helpful, these past few minutes."

"You can't kill them, please don't. I'll do anything, just don't take them away." She begged, becoming weak.

"It'll be less of a hassle if you just do as I say. That way, at least you'll live."

"Haven't you already caused us all enough pain? Why can't you just die?!"

"Just shut up and give me the gun."

Taking a quick look around, Quistis prayed that some other option would present itself because now Blake was trying to grab it from her and she staggered trying to get away while still making it seem accidental. He was getting angry and the other two men looked worriedly at the gun that was pointed at the girl. She was taking too much of a risk and it was too dangerous for her to be fighting with a trigger-happy lunatic. It would be impossible for them to get out if both Quistis and Rinoa were injured. Bullet wounds usually meant the loss of a lot of blood and they still had to think of a way to escape with their lives.

"Let go!" Quistis shouted, trying to elbow her foe in the abdomen.

"There's no way that you're getting out of here alive. Now, just give the gun to me and everything can run smoothly."

"I'll never be one of them."

"Things will change and you'll see that it's not all that bad. Don't make me pull this trigger because I can easily end your life right here and I won't hesitate to do it if you keep fighting me."

"You won't shoot. You're too desperate to get me to work for you."

"Wanna bet?"

Everyone froze, time slowed and nobody could manage to utter a single word as a gunshot was heard and a single bullet determined their fate.

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[Author's Notes: A special thanks to Seph78 (aka Megs) who Beta read this chapter for me! I hope you guys enjoy it but please expect the wait for the next chapter to be up to a week or a few days at least.]


	17. Red Red Rose : Finale

Red + Red + Rose // Chpt ****

Red + Red + Rose // Chpt. Sixteen // Finale

"Don't move! Lower your weapon!"

All eyes turned to Rinoa who was standing up near the doorway with her gun trained on Blake. The agent had just taken down two of his men that had come bounding towards her. Though her head was injured, she regained her senses quickly and was now trying to negotiate with their crazed enemy in an attempt to save her friends. All their lives were, in fact, at risk at the moment, though her main concern was Quistis. The others were not in immediate danger and weren't being restrained by anything.

At that time, Rinoa knew that Blake, was just about ready to pull the trigger. He wanted the girl to work for him but with all the problems they had caused, he was now beginning to realize that she really wasn't worth any more trouble. Even when regaining control of the situation for a few moments, he could tell that things did not look good. They probably had some kind of back-up units that would be arriving shortly and more then half of his men were exhausted.

Their foe was a desperate, murderous one. Yet, even he had limits and enough intelligence to realize the danger that loomed ahead. The police and FBI would have plentiful evidence to convict him if they walked into the penthouse. Just on the streets there were numerous rumors about him that were floating around, being circulated around Chicago. It would only be a matter of time before all of his crimes caught up with him and he was taken away in a squad car. Unfortunately, he planned on killing everyone before letting that happen. If he was going to go down, he'd bring all of them with him.

"I'm not moving one square inch to follow any of _your _commands."

"Drop your gun, now."

"Heh, nice try but if you shoot me then your beloved Quistis will die as well. Don't make any rash moves."

"I'm not playing around, let go of her!"

"You won't shoot, you don't have the backbone to kill me."

"Don't count on it."

"Look at yourself. If you shoot me, you'll be a murderer. You'll have blood all over your hands . . ."

"I was sent here on a mission. I'm a federal agent from the bureau of investigation and there's no time to waste with your stupid attempts to prolong your life."

"Ha," He sneered, "You're just like the rest of them."

"I…don't want to shoot…you." She took a worried glance at Quistis, "But if you don't free those hostages then I'm going to have to. Why do you always have to make this so difficult. Just release them!"

"Fine. You don't want to talk then lets finish this." He smirked evilly and tugged Quistis' head back, raising his hand up to slap her. She winced but still held her grip on the pistol.

"Don't touch her!" Rinoa yelled, though her voice meant to sounds threatening, it had come out as a cry.

"Christ, just let her go." Seifer growled."

"Why, Seifer, so you can rape her again?"

"Shut up, just shut the fuck up."

Both Squall and Rinoa turned to him with repulsed looks on their faces as they silently questioned the blonde male.

"He didn't do anything!" Quistis managed to shout, just as Blake's hand started to come down and connect with her face.

"Stop! Please stop!" Rinoa threw down her gun and raised her hands in the air in an effort to stop him.

His hand came slamming down while she tried to brace herself for the impact and closing her eyes. It stopped, a fraction of an inch away from her cheek which was already stained from the blood that once ran down her temple. She quivered, breathing deeply and trying to hold back a scream.

"Hey!" Blake shouted, suddenly taking the gun and his hand away from her head, shoving her aside.

Before the girl had a chance to react, she saw the entire horrifying event take place before her eyes. Squall was reaching into his jacket to grab a shiny, black object. She presumed it was a pistol that he had been attempting to keep hidden, however with the sudden danger that had approached Quistis, he couldn't afford to wait any longer. Assuming that their attacker was too busy concentrating on the girl he had in his custody, the agent had whipped it out and aimed it at Blake.

Out of the corner of his eye, he had seen this and panicked. Spinning around to face Squall, his gun no longer rested on her, instead he pushed her away and growled. In pure rage, the maniac swore and pulled the trigger. A cry was heard from the other side of the room where Rinoa came dashing forward, diving in front of her partner just as the bullet tore through the air and there was a roaring explosion. The female agent shoved her entire body in front of him and yelled out in agony as the piece of ammunition ripped through the fabric of her light blue duster and broke through her flesh. It embedded itself deep inside of her and a sudden warm, sticky, red fluid began forming around the wound as she fell to the ground and slid a few feet before coming to a stop.

"Rinoa!" Squall shouted, eyes widened in both shock and horror.

He leapt over to where she laid in a heap on the floor, moaning in discomfort and hugging herself. Her face was contorted with pain and she was trembling in both fear and the surprise she felt from the intensity of the shot. Squall took her in his arms and held the other agent close as she opened her tear-filled eyes to look up at him. At that time, everything else was forgotten while he held her, feeling his own eyes begin to burn as they filled with water that threatened to spill down his face. Stroking her hair gently, he tenderly brought her closer and supported her.

"Rinoa…" He choked on her name in a vain attempt to stop himself from crying as well.

"Squall, I'm glad…that you're okay."

"You're so dumb, you shouldn't have even tried to do something like that!" Though he had meant to sound harsh, his voice came out just barely more audible then a whisper, "So…dumb."

"Don't say that…I just wanted to help. I was scared that you would die and then everything would be over. Please…" She whimpered, "Don't let go."

"Shh, you need to conserve your strength."

"I don't want to die alone here. Even if I do pass out before we make it out…don't leave me here!" She pleaded, raising her arm, that wasn't wounded, to gently trace the contours of his face.

"You're not going to die, not like this."

"I'm shot."

"I'm going to get you out, don't worry." He glanced at her shoulder worriedly which was now completely stained crimson, soaked in an fast-growing puddle on the floor.

"I'm gonna lose too much blood. I'll just slow you down."

"Forget about that, you're going to live." He said, struggling to believe his own words.

"There's not too much time left. You guys can still get out of here alive and rescue Quistis if you hurry." She whispered.

Their faces were so close that they were practically touching as they spoke in hushed tones. He placed his hand on her cheek and wiped away a tear that had begun to fall, staring deeply into her coffee brown eyes that appeared to be in so much anguish right now. She leaned forward and softly kissed him on the lips, forgetting about the current situation. Though a bit confused, he responded and massaged her tongue with his for just a moment. It only lasted for a brief minute in time, however that one kiss sealed them together, forever.

For once in his life, the hard, cold Squall Leonhart was finally able to open up and lower his walls to the person that was dying for him right now. She had saved his life, and it was only then that he had realized how much she meant to him. Their previous fights, his unwillingness to get close to anyone . . . all way forgotten when the ice finally melted from his heart. The angel was hurt, and now it was up to the lion to go against fate.

"I'm scared to close my eyes because…what if I can't open them again and I can't see your face or hear your voice…?"

"Just rest, don't worry, I won't go away."

"When I close my eyes it goes dark though, and I can't stand the darkness."

"I'll be here…"

"Why…?"

"I'll be 'waiting' here…"

"For what?"

"I'll be waiting for you…so…if you come here. You'll find me. I promise."

"But where?" Her voice was becoming weak and strained, "I'm afra-"

He put his finger to her lips and brushed her bangs away from her eyes to meet her gaze for just a second longer.

"Just close your eyes and don't let go." He scooped her up as she closed her eyes, relaxing, and allowed him to carry her over to the bed where Seifer waited, his mouth agape.

Quistis smiled, even though it was too late, Squall had finally been able to open up to her and they shared that time. It was odd, sometimes, how things worked out but everything happened for a reason. One event triggered the other and perhaps it was fate that this had to occur. If Rinoa had not been shot, Squall might never have realized how much he truly cared for her and, though it was a tragic way to find out, at least now the couple finally understood each other. 

Sadly, there was no time to think of that because Blake was quickly recovering. She looked at him only to discover that the bullet Squall had shot only grazed his abdomen and ribcage. He had already lost quite a bit of blood and was injured as well. Yet, he was still pulling himself to his feet and now limped over her from where she lay on the ground when ducking for cover.

He sent a murderous glare in her direction and frowned in disgust. She wasn't concerned about that though – It was the gun in his hands that troubled her. He looked very willing to kill her in that instant; blaming Quistis for everything that had happened these past few hours when, in fact, it had been his fault.

Before she could stand up, he lowered the weapon so that it was trained on her. She back up, using her arms and legs to push away from him. The killer let out a crazed laugh as he took a step closer to where she struggled to get away.

"I'm going to enjoy this…immensely." His voice was hoarse, accusing, and came out little more then a whisper. It had changed from his usual cold, icy tone that usually gave her shivers. This one, however, made her want to crawl under a rock.

"As if you didn't derive enough enjoyment from shooting Rinoa." She replied coldly.

"Quistis, I have to admit – you're one stiff bitch and I can't stand all of your virtues. You're going to go straight to hell and, guess what? I'm going to be the one who's gonna send you there."

"There's no more will to fight. They're going to lock you up and throw away the key, asshole." She threatened back.

"Heh, well at least Seifer got a try. You hated that, didn't you? Was he good, Quistis? Or maybe he was a bit too rough…" Her opponent sneered.

"Fuck you. Seifer and I never did anything. It was fake and you're a goddamned idiot."

"Oh, but I already had my fun with you. Seifer was right when he said you were 'tight.'"

"You're lying. I shoved you away before anything happened."

"Heh, looks like I gave you too much credit. You really are stupider then you appear."

She narrowed her eyebrows in confusion and stared up at him.

"Poor, innocent Quistis. . . never even thinking about what went on before you awoke in my conference office."

At that moment, her face turned a ghastly pale shade of white as the impact and weight of his words hit her. She wanted to vomit as waves of nausea washed over her. Biting her lip, the girl blinked back hot tears of humiliation, praying that it was not true, just as he grabbed her neck and tugged her into an upright position.

Shaking her head, she refused to believe that he had done anything to her. The thought was simply too horrible and disgusting to comprehend. Reaching up, self-consciously, Quistis crossed her arms, covering her practically exposed chest. She looked at him with pure hatred; accusations and questions dizzying her mind. He only smiled and shrugged slightly, knowing full-well what she wanted to ask him but couldn't bring herself to do.

"Are you going to verbalize any of your thoughts, my dear?" He snickered.

"Y-You despicable, perverted. . . bastard! I-"

"Uh-uh, be careful what you say now. Remember, I'm the one in control here. You know, considering that you were asleep, I'd say you were pretty damn good. You probably don't remember even though at the beginning you were awake for the most part and screaming to get away."

"Please. . ." She whispered, "Just stop."

"You arrived in a car, guarded by around six of my men. They took you up to my room where Seifer and I were waiting with the ropes and other _supplies_. Seifer was a bit shocked to see you; he even wanted to talk to you before we knocked you out and got the camera set up."

"Seifer…?" Biting her lip, her entire body trembling, she turned to look at him.

"Don't believe him, Love! He's a lying bag of scum."

Blake turned around and pointed the gun at him for a moment, scowling.

"We woke you up and I slipped you some pills before you had a chance to figure out what was going on. They took effect immediately, as drugs often do. I tied you up to the bed and started taking off your clothes while Seifer began filming the entire thing with eager eyes to watch. I wasn't surprised when I saw your body. I figured you were tone and, how can I say . . . well-kept in certain areas…"

"This is bullshit! I never filmed anything, Fucker."

"I don't know what to believe anymore." She confessed, frowning in thought.

"I tested you out first, feeling my way around before moving on to better things."

Her skin crawled and a chill went down her spine, afraid of what he was going to say next. She wanted to cover her ears and believe Seifer, but something was forcing her to listen. Paralyzed in fear, she stood there and took in all that he was saying, feeling numb all the while.

"To my surprise, just as I went to stick it in you, you woke up and started squirming, trying to get away. The ropes kept you in place though, as I had my fun. The sound of your pitiful crying and the sight of all those tears streaming down your face only made it better." He finished the gruesome tale.

"You're a liar! This can't be the truth!"

"He's insane Quistis!" Seifer shouted.

"I'm perfectly sane. In fact, I can even recall when you-"

"Shut the fuck up." Seifer demanded, rage flashing in his eyes.

Her skin turned to gooseflesh when he cupped his hand around her chin and raised her head so that their gaze was locked.

"Too many details for you? I could go on and on, but I'm sure that it would bore you. Plus, Seifer has already experienced this all first-hand, so what would be the point?"

"Get you're bloody hands OFF OF ME!" She pushed his arm away and staggered backwards, "How could you even make up such a disgusting lie?!"

At that moment, Seifer came charging at their foe from behind and tackled him to the ground. He growled and tried to shake the other man off as her ally wrestled for control of the weapon. The fought, rolling over and landing punches on each other. She ran over to where they were battling and kicked Blake, using all her force, in his already-wounded rib cage. The enemy howled out in pain and cursed as she struck him with every last bit of her strength, showing no mercy. Holding nothing back, she pounded on his back with her fists in an intoxicating rage. The emotion filled her body as she brutally hit him time after time while Seifer was beating him as well.

He rolled over just then, grabbing onto her hand and smashing it into the floor. She cried out and could only watch as he took hold of Seifer's arms and flung him away. Thinking quickly, she ignored the pain and lunged at him, knocking him down just as he regained his balance. He pinned her to the floor easily, fueled by adrenaline. In a blind fury, the lunatic began cutting off her oxygen supply as she struggled to get him off. Choking and desperate for air, Quistis brought her arms up and took a swipe for his face, her nails gashing a wound on his cheek.

He hissed but did not stop applying pressure to her neck. Her lungs ached for air and her head felt like it would explode at any moment if she did not have air. Seeing this, after regaining his senses, Seifer shoved the attacker off of her and onto the floor. She gasped for air and let out a strangled cry of relief, bringing her hand up to the sore are to examine it. Thought there were marks from his hands, her glands did not appear to be too swollen.

Seifer now had their opponent on the ground in a headlock, however he swung back his elbow and knocked the wind out of her friend. She got up and lifted her foot up to kick him but he had been anticipating the move and counter-attacked by latching onto her leg, bringing her to the ground once again. He used this chance to reach over to where his gun had been knocked out of his hands, scrambling to get it in his grasp once again. She saw him and grabbed onto his outstretched arm, throwing herself on top of the foe. He rolled over before she could get a good grip though, and sent her flying off.

The weapon was now only a few feet away from him and he crawled towards it eagerly. Just as his hand was about to close around it, Seifer gripped onto Blake's ankle and pulled him back, landing a powerful punch to the man's lower back, which caused him to curl up into somewhat of a ball-like position. The blonde male punched him again, this time it was aimed at his wounded side. Seeing the fist coming at him, their enemy grabbed onto it and twisted, making Seifer groan in pain as he tried to pull away. The ruthless criminal did not let go, though, and began tugging at her teammate's arm, practically pulling the limb out of its socket.

Frantically, Quistis crawled over to where the two men were fighting and dug her nails into Blake's hand that was restricting Seifer's. The blood-thirsty murderer turned to her and sharply brought his hand up to connect with her face. Pain rippled through her body as Quistis felt her head forced to the side and a stinging sensation took over her now-red cheek. She tried to get up, but he wouldn't let her have the chance.

"I'm so fucking sick of you!" He shouted, and slammed her head against the floor. Before she had time to recover, he tore out a fistful of her hair and she screamed, kicking back her foot in a vain attempt to get him away. But he was too overpowering and dodged it without much effort.

Not wasting any more time on the ground, he stood up and loomed over where Quistis lay on the ground, choking back cries. Living up to his cold-hearted nature, he scoffed at her and raised his foot to ram into her head. Acting purely out of instinct, she raised her arms up to grab hold of his foot, pushing it do the side roughly. It caused her attacker to lose his balance and come crashing down on top of her. Scowling, the girl mustered up all of her strength to shove him off and gain control of the situation, despite the overwhelming pain that she was experiencing. But he had a firm grip on her and pressed her down on the floor with one hand while using the other to reach for the gun. Panicking, she rolled over from under him and made her opponent unintentionally push the pistol further away.

Cursing, Blake leapt at her with outstretched arms. However, before the madman got a chance to knock her down once more, she gasped as Seifer shielded her from him, fighting their enemy's punches while attempting to retaliate with his own moves. She brought her hand up to her head and softly rubbed the painful wound. Feeling barely any blood, she took a deep breath before leaping to her feet and dashing for the gun. It was almost in her grasp, so close as she flew through the air. Seifer held Blake down, using all of his force to overpower the older and more experienced man.

The next few moments passed as though they were in slow-motion. She felt her body hit the ground but ignored the discomfort, concentrating only on the revolver. Her hands enclosed around the cool, dark metal and she tightened her grip around it quickly, as she slid across the floor. Quistis had to close her eyes for a moment, blinking to make sure what she was seeing was real. It was finally hers and she could bring their foe down. Not wasting any more time, she spun around and trained it on the bastard.

"Seifer, watch out!"

He turned to look at her just in time as she released the safety. In a burst of speed, her companion jumped off of the enemy and hurried over to where Quistis stood.

"You took everything away from me. My life, my friends, my self-worth and confidence, even my dignity. In all fairness, you deserve to die. But I could never kill someone intentionally and I think you know that. Even after all the pain and shame you caused…" She swallowed and her hand began trembling, "I just wanna go home …"

Slowly, she passed the gun to him, carefully watching their enemy as her cursed under his breath. With fire in his eyes and a deep hatred, he swore at them, promising revenge. Seifer scoffed at him and took aim.

"So, you're going to kill me? Hypocrites. If you wanted the killing to end, all the senseless murder to come to and end, you wouldn't be doing this. You're just like the rest of them. See? Quistis, my dear … Seifer can be just as much as a cold-hearted killer as I am."

"I'm not going to kill you, although as much as I'd like to, I'm being mindful to how Quistis wants things to be done."

"And what does the bitch want?" He growled.

"I want to go home now without living in constant fear that someone is after me."

"Heh, don't count on that. As long as I'm alive, you're always going to have to look over your shoulder."

"Just shut up. You won't be going anywhere when you're locked up in a prison cell." The female countered.

"And to make sure you don't try to come after us …" Seifer frowned, "We're going to have to do something to restrain you until the Popoes get here."

"Let's just go, he's finished." Quistis tried to convince her ally.

"Not until I'm sure that he's not going to escape."

"Heh heh, think I'm afraid? I've been shot dozens of times. Think it'll stop me from getting away from the police? Hell no. I've still got men, I've still got an escape route."

"Fuck you." Seifer cursed at him, his finger growing a bit more tense on the trigger.

"Do it." Blake called him on, obviously not afraid or if he was, he was definitely doing a good job at not showing it, "Coward."

"Coward? No I don't go blackmailing people and trying to hurt the people they care about." Her companion replied angrily.

"That's the way of the world. Kill or get killed, I've said it thousands of times before." He spat.

"You're a cold hearted bastard." She said to him in an icy tone while glaring.

"That's what it takes to survive. Hmph, at least I don't hide behind people and get them to fight for me."

"You get others to do your dirty work … that's the same thing." She countered.

"We form a bond, an alliance and therefore we help each other." He explained.

"It doesn't look like tha-"

"I don't give a fuck what it looks like to you. Now, lets go!" He ordered Seifer to make a decision.

Taking a deep breath, the blonde male stepped back and readjusted his grip on the weapon, but his aim did not waver. He had his shoulder wrapped around Quistis and she moved back with him as well, then turned to look at him. For a moment, he stared back, not knowing what to say. He knew that Blake would escape if he did not kill him here and now, yet she refused to believe that. Seifer brought a hand up to his forehead and wiped away a few drops of perspiration, shaking his head as though deep in thought.

"Tie him up, then we can leave." She suggested softly.

"That won't do anything. He'll get out of ropes easily. He's the one that taught me how to do it …"

"The only way that you can stop me is death. So come on already, Seifer, or are you turning into as pussy?" Blake mocked his opponent.

"Not another word." He ordered, clenching his jaw.

"Fine, do I have to give you a reason to do it?" He asked in a rage, "Fine then, I'll tell Quistis what you did to-"

Seifer braced himself and pulled the trigger, not being able to listen to the deceit anymore. Blake's body flew backwards through the air as the bullet connected with his shoulder. He slammed into the bed and his head made a sickening thud upon contact. The man hissed in pain, clutching onto his wounded arm. He looked ready to murder the other man, had he not been injured. Infuriated, their foe roared in anger, issuing disturbing threats.

"That was for Rinoa, Fucker. I don't need you to remind me what happened."

"I'm going to murder you Seifer! And I'll kill that stupid bitch too! I'll hunt everyone of you down and believe me, it won't be pleasant. YOU'LL ALWAYS HAVE TO LIVE IN FEAR OF ME!" He managed to spit out before coughing up blood. His eyes glowed with a fiery hatred and he ignored the pain, trying not to let them see him gasping for breath.

Quistis, though a bit afraid, huddled closer to her savior. He threw the gun away, pleased that it was out of ammunition and moved his arm down from her shoulder, to her hand. Acting quickly, he spun around and began leading her out of the room. Even with their injuries and exasperation, they began running down the hall.

"I'll kill every last fucking one of you! You have my word on that!" They heard him call from the room before more sickening gurgling noises were audible.

He led, turning around corners and guiding her down the multiple, confusing passageways. She gripped onto his hand tighter, not wanting to get lost as they continued to race through the maze-like building in order to get out. Her breath and heartbeat increased, both became louder and soon that was all she could hear over her footsteps. Seifer was panting as well but he kept up the pace, not wanting to slow for even a second. She wondered why … especially since they were out of danger. Couldn't they just pause for a moment? They were both rushing and she was blind to the area around her though, using all of her energy to force her legs to move while concentrating on her companion.

Adrenaline coursed through her veins and aided in fueling her to run faster. However, keeping up with Seifer was getting more impossible by the second and she found herself beginning to get dragged. The struggle was a hard one with her speed rapidly deteriorating and her agility dived lower as well. It took every ounce of strength in her body to keep herself from passing out due to the multiple wounds and the fact that she suddenly felt sleepy. Still, she moved on, pushing her legs to go faster, avoiding the dizziness that she was now experiencing. It was hard to concentrate on anything as her vision became blurry and she began to gasp for air.

Knowing they were almost out, she ran on, despite the waves of pain that rippled through her fragile body. Her arm felt like it would be torn out of it's socket if this kept up, but she pushed the aching to the back of her mind. All she could think about was escaping as her heart pounded and she began to tremble from the effort it took to sprint without stumbling.

__

Please let us make it out! Don't let me die in here when we're so close. I know that we're almost safe; just about in the clearing. I can't stop now, not when we've almost won this last battle to end the war. I won't quit when I can practically taste victory, not like this. I don't care how sore my body is or how light headed I feel. Getting out is all that matters. We've got to make it away … safely …

She crashed into Seifer as he suddenly stopped. Feeling her form go limp in his arms, he held onto her so that she wouldn't fall. He looked worried as he brought her close before turning to stare in the direction that they had been headed … Where three of Blake's men stood, blocking their path. Shaking her head in frustration, Quistis refused to give up, even though it was impossible to go on. He swore, angrily forming a first at the sudden turn of events.

__

No! Not after everything we went through! This can't be the end. This can't be real. I don't want to believe this, I don't want to damnit that we're trapped once again. Why is there always a dead end?! Why is everyone always against us? Why can't things just work out? Because life is never fair, and yet we force ourselves to carry on … we have to.

Blinking back hot tears of rage, she raised her hands along with Seifer as the enemies pointed their pistols at them. However, their expressions suddenly changed when the guards lowered their weapons and stepped aside in the hallway. Surprised, she stared at them in confusion while her partner did the same.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Go, there's still time for you to get out if you hurry." One of them said.

"Huh?"

"It's over. Blake's finished, there's no more need to fight." Another one of the men explained.

"Reno, Rude, & Tseng … I owe you." Seifer replied with a relieved smile.

"Hurry up, the door's straight ahe-"

"Guys, get Quistis out of here."

"Seifer…?" She turned to him, confused.

"He's still alive, still fighting. I know it."

"Let's just go. The police can deal with him." She tried to pull him but he wouldn't budge.

"Go on, Love. Trust me on this one."

"I don't want to leave you here!"

"Take my word on this. I'm begging you…" He pleaded, not wanting to fight.

"No! If I ever lost you to this maniac, I couldn't live with myself."

He shook his head in frustration and scowled.

"I said," He began, taking on an angry, cold tone "get out!"

"Oh, so that's what it's going to be like? You think you can suddenly pretend to be angry and I'll just crumble. Sorry, that's not the case. If you won't go, I won't either."

"Listen to me," He began yelling, "I didn't come this far to have the bastard get free. Now leave or I'll MAKE you leave."

"You can't fight him in you condition, anyway. What would be the point?" She tried reasoning with him, "And you can't convince me that you're angry either because I know it's just a ploy to-"

"Argh. You don't get it …" He waved his hand in front of her face, "He's going to get out if I don't stop him. I'm the only one that knows how so leave it up to me and go with them."

Although his tone had softened, his eyes had not and his stare still demanded that she left. Her eyes burned back at him, though not with the same fire.

"I don't want to leave you here …" She said quietly.

"I give you my word … I'll be alright."

"Don't make me do this." She sighed, biting her lip in defeat.

"Would I lie to you?"

"……"

"I know there were mistakes made in the past but now, I promise that I won't die. Go."

"Promise me one thing." She asked him.

"Anything for you, Love." He forced a smile.

"Please come back." She wrapped her arms around him for a quick hug. His lips met hers and they kissed, passionately, for only a minute before he gently pushed her away.

"I'll catch up with you later." He told her.

"I don't want to lose you because I've already lost too much."

"Don't worry." He broke away from their embrace and released her hand, "I won't forget about you."

"I won't forget about you either."

He nodded to the three men and Reno placed his hand on her shoulder as Seifer began to jog back .She resisted the urge to break away from the men as they led her away from him in the opposite direction. Choking back cries, she allowed the redhead to try comforting her as she frowned while watching him disappear around a corner. Her heart longed to be with him but she forced herself to move on. Though they tried their best, she was inconsolable and refused to talk to them.

"We're almost out." Tseng announced, and she looked up to see the door a few feet away.

"Will he be alright?" She managed to ask, her voice shaking.

"He'll be fine." Rude replied, gruffly.

"How do you know him?"

"Worked together." The same man answered.

"You're friends?"

"One might say that." Tseng entered the conversation.

"Oh … were you the people …" She trailed off, unable to finish the question.

"That attempted kidnapping you? No, we were involved in other affairs." He informed her.

"Other affairs?"

"Detail isn't necessary. We've known Seifer for a long time, since he first started working the corners. He's a tough son of a bitch and he'll make it out alive."

"I hope so."

"Doubting him? Heh, I don't even see how you could even want to see him again after everything he's done." The man laughed.

"What are you insinuating?"

"Maybe he's changed, I don't know. Forget it."

"He's been there for me. Everyone makes mistakes."

"He's lucky then, to find a girl like you."

They opened the doors and she stepped outside into the pouring rain. Thunder clapped in the distance and lightning streaked the sky that was covered with dark, ominous storm clouds. They loomed above in the darkness of the night, hiding the moon and stars.

Shivering, she looked around to find the entire building surrounded by police cars. There were several men that dashed inside as soon as they got out. Then they led her away. She felt them taking her over to a car and they held her hands behind her back before pressing her against the vehicle and the men began barking out orders. Growing uncomfortable as they searched her for weapons, she frowned but didn't try to fight them. Weakly, she followed the officers over to where another man stood, staring at her.

"You're Quistis Trepe, correct?"

"That's right.' She replied coldly.

"Leonhart told us about you when he came out of here. You're lucky to be alive."

"I'm aware of that. Where did Squall go? Is Rinoa alright?"

"Relax, he hopped on an ambulance with the girl. They said she was going to be fine. The bullet bounced."

"Why in the world did you wait so long before going in? We could've been killed!" She accused, unable to hold back her questions any longer.

"We wanted to make sure everyone got out alive because Blake has access to an extremely powerful explosive device. Surprising him could prompt him to get nervous and a bit trigger happy."

"Bullshit. That's why you call in a negotiator. The way I see it, you're all imbeciles. But that's not important right now because Seifer Almasy is still inside and he's in danger!"

"We were told that Seifer was employed by the enemy." The chief began," Leonhart advised us to wait for the guy, but we can't take that risk."

"Seifer is the reason that I got outs safely! He's on our side and you can't do this!" She tried to break away from the men but the held her in place.

"Calm down and wait just a minute. What do you mean he 'saved' you?" The man inquired.

"You heard me." She tensioned her arm muscles and the men tightened their grip, "He led me out and he would probably be here right now beside me if he hadn't gone back to make sure that Blake wasn't going to get away."

"You mean he's not conspiring with the enemy?"

"No, he's not. That's why you've got to get him out of there!" She pleaded, "Squall must have told you something …"

"We'll see what we can do but I'm not guaranteeing anything. We have no proof that he's really not working for Blake aside from 2 peoples' stories."

"I swear to you that he's with us. There's no time for you to contemplate over it, he could die in there!"

"So how do you suggest that we get him out?"

"How should I know? You're the police, you should know." Quistis yelled.

"I'll have to talk to my superiors. This type of thing requires-'

"Seifer is going to die in there if you don't do something. I don't have time to waste while you discuss his fate as a committee." She argued.

"You can't just tell us how to run the squad. What do you plan on doing if we refuse to go back there, Miss Trepe?"

"Then you're all murderers," She accused, "You know perfectly well that I can't do anything. I can't get away, you've got me trapped here. I can't force you to go in and save him. Hell, I can't even give you any evidence that he's not our enemy. But if you have one shred of decency in you… If you can find it in your heart… I'm begging you to rescue him."

"I just don't think-"

But they didn't have a chance to continue because suddenly there was a deafening explosion that shook the ground. The officers pushed her down to cover her and she squeezed her eyes shut as the sound of shattering glass was audible. Then, a loud clapping noise, similar to the roar of thunder could be heard. Her heard pounded once again, she gasped for air as an intense feeling of heat washed over and suffocated her. Smoke began filling her lungs, only making her choke and cough while she struggled to breath with the added weight of someone on top of her.

She was too afraid to look up, too frightened to see the entire penthouse engulfed in flames with dark clouds of smoke rising into the air. Quistis didn't want to believe that everyone inside had been burnt to a crisp, refused to accept that Seifer was dead. Her world was falling apart; everything was crumbling from under her.

Slowly, the men began standing up but she remained glued to the ground, despite their best efforts to pull her up. Her limbs felt like they were being weighed down and filled with sand; it was impossible to move and she didn't want to either. All she could hear was the thundering of her own heart over the shouts and commands that the men were barking frantically. She could hear them calling for firetrucks and ambulances but knew that the latter would not do any good to the people inside that building. It was too late to salvage their lives, too late to save Seifer.

__

No, he couldn't have been in there. He had to have gotten out safely before that explosion. He must've started going back but when he saw those men coming, he left with them and nobody, aside from Blake, died. He's not dead. He can't be dead, it's impossible. Even if he didn't come out the front doors, there are other exits, windows, anything. Those men that went in knew about the bomb. Even if they thought he was with the enemy, they still have a responsibility to save him if his life is in jeopardy.

But what if he tried resisting them? What if he thought that they were attackers and he ignored them? No, Seifer wouldn't do that. Though he can be thick-headed on occasion, he has SOME common sense … enough to know when his life was at risk and he needed to get out.

"Miss. Trepe, are you alright?"

She looked up, finally, and heard the crackling as everything that was trapped in the fire was burnt. The rain met the scorching flames and they hissed angrily, refusing to die down as more thick smoke billowed out. Ashes were spewed into the air along with sparks and bits of debris flying ever which way. She saw the fire coming out through the windows while glass continued to break from the intense heat.

"Can you move? Someone get her an ambulance! She's going into shock!"

She tried sitting up, tried to form words but they wouldn't come. The thick smog burnt her throat and her lungs as she tried to hold back a coughing fit.

"Help will be here soon!" She heard someone yell.

__

Tell me he survived. I want to see his face again. I want to hear his voice. I'm not alone … If I reach out to him, he will be there. If I call out his name, he'll answer. Seifer! Where are you?! … Am I … alone? 

"Here it comes, move aside everyone. The firetrucks are here too!" The chief yelled.

Sirens droned everything else out but she ignored them, now focusing all her energy to tell the police that she was alright, that she didn't want to be dragged to the hospital without knowing if Seifer was okay. But Quistis could the paramedics coming closer and bit her lip, doubting that she could resist them.

"Can you speak at all, Miss Trepe?"

"Seifer …" She managed to murmur.

"What? Don't think of him now, what's important is your well-being."

"Did they…" She coughed, "Did they get him out in time?" The girl asked them, her voice barely rising above a whisper.

"Who?"

There were two hands around her waist now and then a neck brace was snapped around her, followed by a blanket. She numbly let them strap her down to the stretcher as she turned to look at the Sergeant. He appeared worried, like he did not want to tell her something, he was holding it back.

"Check her blood pressure!" One of the Doctors yelled.

"Why are they taking me away? I don't want to leave when he might still be alive." She mumbled.

Quistis attempted wriggling away from the doctors but it was no use. They had her locked down so that all she could do was clench her hands into fists in frustration. There was no reason for her to be taken. She wasn't suffering from shock, she had to find Seifer.

"What aren't you telling me?" She questioned him, her voice getting a small bit better, "What's the point of all of this?"

"Listen to me, now. You're suffering from shock along with multiple lacerations, smoke inhalation, and most-likely a concussion. You need to go with these people now. I think that's what Seifer would tell you to do if he was here right now." He seemed saddened, "But you must know, just as well as I do, that nobody could have survived that explosion. It's a physical impossibility."

They began wheeling her over to the ambulance after hooking up a few tubes and taking their readings with various tiny devices.

"I'm not in shock or denial." She said firmly but quietly, "And Seifer isn't dead."

"Don't do this. Just go to the hospital peacefully and try not to think about him."

"How can I not think about it?! I just saw an enormous explosion and one of the people that I care for very deeply might be hurt."

The man looked upset, pitying what he thought was her inability to accept the truth. She appeared to be so frail, so weak on that portable mattress as they secured her and the girl didn't even bother to resist them anymore.

"Alright then," He said, "We'll take a look around the building … if we have time."

Even she, in her current desperate state, could tell that what he said was a blatant lie just to put an end to the quarrel. There would be no searches, no scans of the area for missing people, no rescues.

"Look, officer …" She sighed out of weary, "I know that it's hard to believe. I know you think it's pointless and I'm crazy … Hell, if I was in your position I'd probably saying the same damned thing. But you've got to take my word on this. As disbelievable as it may seem, I don't think he died back there. Now look into my eyes, and tell me that I'm delusional." She demanded.

He stared at her for a moment as they continued wheeling and she stared back at him.

"Please, just LOOK for him. I'm not asking you to organize a huge search party and scour the entire area all night long. As much as I'd like you to do that, I know that it won't be possible. So, Sir, if you could just keep an eye out for him and take a quick walk around, that would allow me to rest in peace, knowing that I did everything I could to save the man that I've grown to love … that I've bonded with so deeply."

"……"

"I'll go with them without a fight," She motioned to the paramedics that were now lifting her up into the ambulance and putting a mask on her, "And I'll be okay knowing that you did everything you could as well, under the circumstances."

For a moment she thought he'd just shake his head and ignore her plea, because it would probably be the logical thing to do. However, he reluctantly nodded and this time it was the truth.

"I'll check … just incase." He agreed, finally.

"I have your word on it?"

"You have my word, Quistis." The man said, just before they slammed the vehicle's doors shut and she rested her head down on the pillow. 

__

It's over. This is finally the end. I should be happy that I'm alive; thankful that I made it through everything. Except he's not here to share that happiness with me and I can't let go just yet. I won't give up now, because that's what you would have wanted. I have to live, even though things seem to be hopeless.

"Goodbye, Seifer. I'll be seeing you in a while. Whether it's in a hospital bed lying next to me, or up in heaven in a few years' time, I'll never give up on finding you, Love."


	18. Red Red Rose : Epilogue

Quistis Trepe walked through the gate, a plane ticket to Massachusetts in her hand and an emotionless expression on her face

Red + Red + Rose : Epilogue

Quistis Trepe walked through the gate, a plane ticket to Massachusetts in her hand and an emotionless expression on her face. She flashed the person at the door the pass and only hesitated for a moment before stepping onto the plane, and walking down the short hallway that would lead her into the seating area. It was quiet, probably quite common for such an early flight. Her footsteps made barely any sound as the softly met with the floor when she padded down the corridor. She had a first class ticket, but it still appeared to be rather confined in the large vehicle, though her Claustrophobia probably played some role in that feeling of being closed in.

She walked through the doorway and into the room; barely anyone sat inside, those that did were either sleeping or engrossed in a book or the foreign film that had started to play on the small television monitor at the front, mounted near the ceiling. They didn't pay her any attention when she came in, not bothering to even glance her way, it made her feel small and insignificant, like she did not exist with them, like she would never again be like these people. They were mostly in their thirties or forties, some a bit younger, only the youthful ones reminded her of herself, what life had been like before the nightmare had begun and her pleasant dreams had suddenly disappeared into thin air.

However, amazingly, if she had been given the choice, she would still want to remember the adventure, being able to recall the details of what had unfolded at the penthouse. After all, it had been the last time she had seen Seifer, the only time he had really opened up to her, and in that place they had shared their final bonding. The sun had set on their time together, to her it seemed like it would never rise again, she didn't want the sun to ascend without Seifer. Yet, life _did _go on and it was a new day. A new start, and a fresh one at that.

__

Do you remember how you used to come over so late at night and scare me? I used to tell you I hated that, but deep down I suppose I honestly didn't mind it so much, at least you were there with me and I wasn't so alone. Perhaps I shouldn't have yelled at you all those times that you came over, all the times that you phoned me, and for the endless teasing that I received from you at school. In contrast to the past few months, that was heaven you and I were in, it was the one point in my life where I believed I was truly happy. Although it was a lie to myself about that false feeling of satisfaction, absolutely nothing right now could come close to how elated I felt during these past few years that I've known you. We went through our bad times and good times, occasionally we fought and brawled over irrelevant matters, before I used to think of it as a living-hell. Now I realize that all the times you were there for me, all the times that you wanted nothing more then to be with me and respond to my emotions, it made the weak points in our relationship so tiny, so meaningless.

Truly, I don't know what I would've done had you not come up to me at my locker that day and introduced yourself, picking up all the things I had clumsily dropped and kissing my hand, trying to totally warm me up. I shoved you away at first, showing you my usual rude, egotistical side in the beginning before I came to the sudden insight that I actually didn't mind your company. I found myself attracted to the way you acted, so carefree and thoughtless, I think that I was more curious then in love at the start, over time that changed. I don't know exactly what happened, I doubt that I ever will, all I know is that somehow I came to trust you, to care for you, and to love you while you had become attached to me in the same way. There were times that I absolutely despised myself for being such a 'lovesick fool,' I see now that I was wrong for thinking that, and it is only through love that a person can really learn a very valuable lesson.

I'll never forget us, what I stood up for in the past, what our bond meant to me, or what it was like to have another half to myself, and that was you. I don't want to forget the first time that you took me out, to the summer carnival, we sat on that grassy hill and we showed each other how we felt, physically. That night, you totally dropped the snobbish and happy-go-lucky attitude that I had expected from you, and for an experienced manager on the street corners, you became so much gentler and passionate then I had ever seen you. I don't know exactly what change occurred, but I still hold that memory, our memory, in my heart, my mind, and in the ring you gave me that night. I could've sworn that it was like a star on that band of white gold, it practically glowed, as I did, on that evening.

I used to think we were only about the sex and that was all we were based on. I was wrong and I'm sorry that I could ever misinterpret us like that, if I could go back in time then I would never have thought all those horrible things about you. I would've never been so shallow…But…you can't change the past. It's impossible and no matter what I say or do now, what happened back then will never reverse itself. My actions and attitude cannot be altered, destiny unfolded and left me broken, sad, yet with new knowledge and an understanding. If I could save Rinoa from getting shot, if I could take back all those heartless things I thought about you when I thought you were my enemy, well there's nothing more in the world that I would love to do rather to change them. Nevertheless, all I am left to do now is pick up whatever pieces of my old life remain, try to piece my world back together, and move on so that I'm not stuck in our history like a ghost.

I regret having to leave all my companions behind, I yearn to go back and run into their open arms and take the easy way out, but that dream I had, that vision of us going to Harvard before I awoke in Blake's penthouse, I must follow it. I know that I have to at least attempt to do something right in my life, even if this is the wrong choice to others, for me it is the only correct one that I can possibly take to go on and continue living, even without you in my life.

So I pray to whatever God or higher being exists in this universe, that I will be able to live with this decision and that somewhere, wherever you may be, you are watching over me, by my side, and will try to protect me from my fears and doubts. No matter what, don't let me lose faith, don't let me lose hope and, most importantly, do not ever let me lose our memories. As long as you are near me, I'll live my life the best way that I can, welcoming the future but also being able to fondly recall our past without breaking down or wanting to make it go away. I can survive…I just need your help. 

I know _that you are still alive somewhere, I can feel you. I don't care what anyone else says, even Rinoa and Squall, I believe that you are out there somewhere, keeping an eye on me, keeping me out of trouble, and one day we will be together again, no matter how far in the distant future that may be, I'll be here. For what? I'll be 'waiting' here. Why? I'll be waiting for you…so…If you come here…You'll find me. I promise._

She fastened her seatbelt and gazed out the window, just as the plane began vibrating when the engines warmed up. They were almost ready to take off, almost ready to leave this place that meant so much to her. But she wasn't leaving so that she could forget this just to start over, she was leaving because this was what she had been planning to do and wanted to follow through with it for her own sake, not anyone else's.

Quistis felt the large aircraft begin to move as it picked up speed on the runway, getting closer and closer to lifting off. Things began blending through the window, everything one big blur as it continued to race past the surrounding airport. Though the shaking was minimized, she still felt the rumbling and began to tremble as everything flew by. 

Deep down, the past would never leave her, just remained sealed away safe in her heart until her love came to unlock it again, and she knew that someday, when she needed him most, he _would _come for her, and whisk her off of her feet, embracing her in his arms and she could stare into his eyes. Those sparking green eyes which, suddenly, she found returning her gaze from where a tall, familiar, young blonde bloke stood, leaning up against the door frame, where one of the flight attendants was ushering him in. He had a smirk on his face as he came walking, confidently, toward where she sat, with her eyes wide in awe and her mouth agape. She was in the perfect position for him to lower his lips to hers and engulf her in the most intense, passionate and deepest kiss that she had ever experienced, just as the plane lifted off the runway and they began flying through the air.

"When two people love each other, but just can't seem to get it together, how do you know when you get to the point where enough is enough?" She whispered into his ear as he hugged her close.

He paused for a moment, finding himself getting lost in their un-breakable gaze and just taking in the beauty as she smiled and tears of joy began forming in her magnificent royal blue eyes.

"…Never."

**__**

* The End *

________________________

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Author's Notes:

Woo-hoo! I finally finished this. You'll have to excuse my horrible typos and formatting problems throughout the story – I have yet to have a friend 'beta' read it. The thought of a sequel crossed my mind but I think that it's good as a stand alone fic because of the ending. Now, if Seifer HADN'T returned and she was alone on the plane, then maybe…

I'd like to say thanks to everyone who read through it and reviewed ^^ Also: thankies to megan & livvy for giving me inspiration. Especially Megs, cause she edited and read the last few chapters and she rocks at editing and is an amazing writer. I have to apologize to all my readers that I made wait so damn long … there were things in my life going on while the last chapter was being written, that prevented me from posting it sooner. Thanks again to all of you who stuck with me and waited patiently for me to get things together.

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to drop me a line, my email addy is [Nicya78@hotmail.com][1]_ . Constructive criticim and your thoughts are always appreciated!_

Kisses,

Nicole

   [1]: mailto:Nicya78@hotmail.com



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